Night Tears
by EmmelineSpark
Summary: He only wanted her to be his... Because he loved her.  But in the end, it doesn't matter. For she will always belong to another one, and the only thing he can do is cry night tears while waiting for her to come back... B/R, B/V
1. Sacrifice

**A.N/ Well, I don't really know how this popped up in my head, but I've had this in my mind for quite some long time now, and I just felt like writing it…**

**I wasn't very sure about the rating, but I went with Mature, just to be safe. I was intending to go with T, but, oh well, I think this is kinda mature.**

**I'm planning this to be a sort of short story, which will be over after some chapters, but I'm also thinking of leaving this as a one-shot… What do you think?**

**I hope you like it!**

**Reviews are more than love!**

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><p>Rodolphus Lestrange was sitting on one of the two big, black armchairs in the main living room of the Lestrange Manor. The glass on his right hand was empty now, so he leaned forward to grab the big bottle of Firewhiskey from the table, when he heard a slight noise from the corridor.<p>

"Bella!" he murmured and stormed out of the living room, only to come face to face with one of the house elves.

"Master, are you not sleeping?" asked the house elf, scared by the look on its master's face.

Rodolphus growled, and turned around to leave, but then stopped suddenly. He turned his head so he could look at the house elf. "Have you seen your mistress?" he barked. The house elf made a few steps backwards, afraid that he would be punished for something, and opened his mouth to speak.

"No, Master, mistress Lestrange hasn't come back yet. Todd hasn't seen her since when she left the Manor. Did Todd do bad, master?" the house elf said.

Rodolphus didn't reply. Another low growl of frustration escaped his lips and he left the corridor, with the bottle of Firewhiskey still at hand.

Once he was back at the living room, he let himself fall on the armchair again, and brought the bottle to his mouth. "Fuck, I don't want to get drunk again," he thought, and threw the bottle on the floor. He stayed there, observing the broken pieces and the content of the bottle which now lied a few steps away from him, and then threw his head back, his palm grabbing his forehead. He was desperate; he had no idea of what condition Bellatrix was in, and all he could feel was anger, anger and agony.

She had disobeyed him! He had made it clear that she shouldn't get involved in this, it was his mistake, therefore only his punishment to take! Bellatrix had nothing to do with this, yet she had decided to get involved.

How had he been so careless? He had let that Mudblood escape, and Voldemort was furious; more than Rodolphus had ever seen him before. He was sure that his life had reached its end. There was no way the Dark Lord would forgive this, he would definitely kill him, and he would make sure that it wouldn't be quick and painless. Probably he would do it in front of all the others, just to show what happens to everyone who disobeys or fails him, just how Rodolphus had seen many others die.

Rodolphus had talked to Bellatrix. He had told her how things were, he had told her about how he had failed, and about how sure it was that he was going to die. But he had also begged her to stay out of this. He loved Bella; he didn't want her to get punished as well, for something she hadn't done. But yet, she had disobeyed him.

Earlier that night, an owl had brought him a letter, a letter that had made him almost faint.

_You need not to come tonight. Your wife is here. _

Two sentences. Two sentences that had made him shake in fear. What had she done?

It was almost five hours since Rodolphus had read this letter, and Bellatrix hadn't showed up yet. He feared for the worst; probably she was getting tortured, or maybe she was already dead. What was she thinking? She was going to make things worse, and now she was in danger as well…

Just when he was thinking of getting up and going to find her, he heard the main door open and close. He jumped up and ran downstairs, his heart beating hard against his chest. He ran through the hall, and almost fell on his wife's cloaked figure, who gave a high-pitched gasp when she saw him.

"You scared me!" she screamed once he stepped back. She removed her hood, letting her black curls fall over her face, and turned around to leave, heading to the staircase, without saying anything else.

Rodolphus ran behind her and blocked her way.

"You're back!" he exclaimed, making her roll her eyes.

"Obviously," she said and went to leave again, but he didn't let her.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, after observing her for a few seconds. She seemed to be just fine; he couldn't see any signs of torture or any other form of punishment, apart from her slightly messy hair, but this could have probably been caused by the wind.

"Yes, I'm fine! Now could you please move aside so I could go upstairs?" she said, obviously wanting to get rid of him, but he didn't notice her irritated tone.

"I told you not to get involved with this!" he said angrily. "You could have been killed, it was my fault, you-"

"Well, I didn't!" she cut him off. "And you're safe. The Dark Lord decided to spare your life," she added, before turning around once again.

"Oh, Bella, I was so worried," he said, and leaned over to hug her, but she quickly moved so he couldn't reach her.

"Yes, but I'm alright, so, here you go," she exclaimed without caring that much, and started going up the stairs.

Rodolphus followed her and they both reached the second floor. He was so relieved that she was alright! All he wanted now was to hug her, be close to her… for five whole hours, he thought he had lost her for ever. But still, there was something strange about her… Why was she in such good condition? There was no way she had gotten off with the Dark Lord without getting tortured…

She kept walking without talking to him, heading to the bathroom, removing her black coat as she walked.

"Did he torture you?" Rodolphus asked worriedly, as he walked behind her. "You don't seem like you've been punished or anything…"

"He didn't," she answered coldly, but didn't say anything else. She threw her coat on one hanger and opened the door to the bathroom, but Rodolphus stopped her gently. It was obvious that he wanted to kiss her or something, but she didn't seem to share the feelings.

"Did he punish you?" he asked once again.

"No!" she said angrily, and turned around, storming into the bathroom and closing the door behind her, but not before Rodolphus could see the open front buttons of her dress.

One single thought started to creep up on him, and he opened the door, walking in the bathroom and forcing her to look at him.

"What did he do then?" he insisted, fearing for the worst.

"What's it matter?" she asked coolly. "You're off the hook."

She walked away from him and got out of the bathroom, but he stopped her once again.

"Did you lie with him?" he asked, his voice full with anger now.

"It's not your business," she hissed.

"It's not MY business?" he roared, finally understanding. "I'm your fucking husband, and you don't go with other men!"

"And should I have refused? Should I have said no to Him?" she sneered, observing the look of absolute shock across her husband's face. "The last thing you should do is complain! I did what I had to do, and I saved your fucking life, now get out of my way!"

That was more of what Rodolphus could possibly take. He raised his hand to hit her, but froze, unable to do such thing. Bellatrix, taking advantage of this, ran away from him, reaching the other corner of the room.

"I told you now to go there!" he roared. "I never told you to do this! I never told you to sell your body to him like a common whore! I told you to stay away! This was _my_ failure, and _my_ punishment to take! How dare you disobey me like that, how dare you-"

"Would you rather he killed you?" she screamed, fed up with him.

"YES!" he roared. "I would rather die than watching my wife debase herself like that! Do you think I want my wife to whore for another man, whoever this man is?"

"Well, there's nothing you can do right now," she said coldly and simply left the room, without saying anything else.

Rodolphus stood there, in absolute shock. How… _how__dare__she_? No one was allowed to treat him like that, not even his wife, who was now the Dark Lord's lover, as well. He couldn't bear with that. He couldn't deal with the fact that his Bella, his beloved Bella, had gone with another, he couldn't deal with the fact that the Dark lord had _fucked_ his wife. Without even thinking of what he was saying, he finally exploded, as he watched her getting down the stairs: "Get out of _my_house, you whore!"

He watched her freeze at the bottom of the stairs. His breath was coming out erratic, but he had already regretted saying those words to her. She didn't turn around, and he barely hard the trembling words that came from her. "I- if you wish to k-know," she started, "I d-didn't enjoy it". Rodolphus remained silent, not knowing how to react. "I-I did it for you. Only for you. I begged him to spare your life. This was the only way…" he heard her say, breathless. "I hated it," she whispered, after a long breath. "Every single second of it. But I endured it, I endured his… his _need_," she trembled, "for you. For you to live." She sobbed now. "Because… because I love you." After that, she collapsed on the stairs, crying, hiding her face in her palms. Rodolphus couldn't take this. He couldn't watch her cry like that, he loved her, and now he felt like he was about to start crying. He ran down the stairs and put his arms protectively around her, as she buried her head in his chest.

"Shh… Please, Bella, don't cry… I know, I know, you did it for me… I'm sorry, Bella, I'm so sorry…. Don't cry, please, it's all over now… I'm sorry, Bella, I'm so sorry…. Don't cry, please, it's all over now… You don't have to do this again… Oh, my Bella, I'm so sorry…" Rodolphus hugged her tightly and stroked her long hair, his heart full of love for her. How had he talked to her like that? His Bella… He loved her so much… And he felt so bad for her right now…

"Calm down, Bella, calm down, everything is alright…" he whispered to her, and helped her stand up. She looked straight into his eyes, and she smiled weakly, her tears still running down her face.

"It's okay, now, Bella, it's okay…" he whispered and hugged her.

"I know," she said weakly and buried her face on his shoulder, hiding a small triumphant smile that crept across her face. She had always been a brilliant actor.

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><p><strong>A.N. Did you guys like it? Would this be better as a one-shot or should I continue with this?**

**Reviews are highly appreciated!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Not quite as planned

**A.N/ So! I decided to go on with this, so here you have the second chapter! *yay!***

**Probably you're wondering why I've put Bella and Voldemort as the two main characters in the summary, since the first chapter was mostly Belladolphus… Well, it was just the first chapter ;)**

**I really wanted to present this story from Bella's POV as well… So this chapter does just that!**

**Also, I want to thank you for the reviews and reads :D Many people added this to their favorites and alerts, and I want to thank them :) I love you *sends kisses* But reviews are also love, and they give an extra motive to update! So, you know what to do ;) (and, plus, I'll give you cookies :P)**

**Also, also, I want to give a few notes first. This takes place _before_ the first wizarding war, therefore before Voldemort got _that_ snake-like. It's just, I couldn't write Voldemort acting in a sexual manner while he is as pictured in the HP books… I just couldn't… :S Of course he's not the handsome and attractive Tom Riddle he used to be, but he's not monster-like, he still holds something of his old self. Also, it takes place before the first war because I didn't want Bella and Rodolphus to be ruined because of Azkaban…**

**Anyway! I feel like I'm tiring you out with the long Author's Note, so, off to the fun part!**

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><p>Stupid. He was stupid, stupid and completely useless. It was the simplest of task, keep the stupid Mudblood imprisoned, and yet he had failed. At times like that, Bellatrix really felt ashamed for her husband. How had he managed to fail like that?<p>

Of course, Rodolphus wasn't aware of the fact that she knew about his failure and his upcoming punishment. And that was to her benefit, actually. She didn't really care for him, and of course she didn't love him. She knew that he had some strong feelings for her, but she had never allowed him to think that she returned those feelings. Yet, she didn't want him to die. Not because she loved him, that wasn't the case at the least. But what would happen with her family and the other Deatheaters if her husband got killed because of his stupidity? She couldn't allow that. But, there was one problem with this. The Dark Lord's fury was immeasurable this time, and she couldn't think of anything to convince him to spare her useless husband's life.

When she returned home the previous night, she hadn't found him there. She wondered where he was; he hadn't showed up in the Deatheater meeting that evening, as well, probably out of shame. Bellatrix had thought that probably it was the best thing from his part to do, since there was no way he would make it alive throughout the meeting, because of Voldemort's anger for his failure. Not finding her husband at home, she decided to wait for him, just to reassure him that she remained loyal and supportive to him through this situation. It would be much to her benefit if Rodolphus thought that she loved him so much as well, this she knew. Thus, she waited all alone in the house until he finally showed up, looking like a mess. Probably he had been drinking all night, but Bellatrix couldn't blame him.

After Rodolphus had managed to recover somehow from his drunken state, he had talked to her. He had informed her about his failure, and about the fact that his very life was hanging by a threat. Bellatrix had done her best to appear worried and caring, and obviously he had convinced him. And then, he had told her to stay out of this. She hadn't said anything. She had simply nodded and reassured him that she wouldn't get involved in any way, that she understood that she would only get things more messed up if she didn't stay out, and so he had believed her.

Now, it was almost midnight, and she was walking quickly to her Lord's Manor, to do exactly what Rodolphus had begged her not to. How stupid he was! Did he really believe that he could get off the hook all by himself? The only thing he could achieve was to anger the Dark Lord even more and get an even more painful death, if Bellatrix didn't help things. She didn't know exactly what to do about that, and she was well aware of the fact that she would probably anger him enough to kill them both, but she knew that her Lord wouldn't kill _her_. Never her. She would do anything for him, anything to show him how loyal she was to him, and she knew he was aware of that.

After a few minutes, she was outside of her Lord's Manor, facing the huge gates. She lifted her left forearm and the gates opened, allowing her to pass, and soon she was inside the manor, in a big living room. She threw her coat on one sofa, and kept walking, her hands clenched nervously on her dress. she was dressed simply, with a dark grey dress with a short button line on the front and a black corset and boots. She really didn't care that much for her appearance at the moment, though. She headed to the study room, where she supposed he would be, and knocked the door lightly. She waited for a few moments and then entered.

As she expected, she found him sitting on the bog chair behind his desk, but she also saw another man standing close to the desk, a man with long, blond hair; Lucius Malfoy. She had never liked that man, but now she could only wonder what her sister's husband was doing there.

Voldemort smirked as he saw her.

"Why, Bellatrix, what a pleasant surprise!" he hissed, and Bellatrix knelt down on the carpet.

"Master," she murmured, "I-"

"You're here for your husband, am I correct?" Voldemort cut her off.

Bellatrix gulped and then shot a quick glare to Lucius, who was now grinning triumphantly, which didn't go unnoticed by Voldemort.

"Lucius," he said coldly while turning to his Deatheater, "I would like to speak to Bellatrix privately, _if_ you don't mind."

Lucius bowed his head quickly and murmured a quick "of course, Master", and then left the room and the Manor as quickly as he could. Bellatrix took a small breath, but, before she was able to talk, the Dark Lord cut her off once again. "Did your _dear husband _beg you to come here and tell me to spare his worthless life?" he asked mockingly, but his anger for Rodolphus's failure was still obvious.

"My Lord, Rodolphus doesn't know I'm here," she whispered, now suddenly taken over by fear. What the well was she thinking? Why had she come here?

"Ah, so you disobeyed your husband's orders and decided to get involved in his business?" Voldemort insisted, making Bellatrix feel really uncomfortable. She could understand why he was treating her like that, he was obviously furious, and she wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly hit her with a cruciatus curse.

"My Lord," she started, "I didn't come here to beg for my husband's life, or try to make it look like it he doesn't need to be punished." She gathered all her courage, and went on, now observing her Master's expression carefully. "I just… I just want to say that… Umm... I don't think that you should kill him, my Lord, with all due respect," she said. She wasn't sure of what the hell she was saying. It was nothing close to what she had planned of telling him, but now it seemed like her mind couldn't work properly. Not because of Rodolphus; her husband was the last person she was thinking of right now, even though she was here because of him. All she could think of was her Master, who was sitting only a few steps away from her…

She always felt like that when she was close to him; like she couldn't say anything, like she forgot how to breathe. Even at moments like this, she found herself thinking of being close to him, touching him, even kissing him…

_What the hell are you thinking?_ She yelled at herself mentally. She was here for Rodolphus, not for…

"So, Bella, allow me to assume that you came all the way to here to beg me to spare Rodolphus's life, right?" Voldemort sneered.

Bellatrix gulped, and tried to make herself focus on the matter at hand. "My Lord," she said weakly, "I just don't think that you... Well… I…" she found herself unable to finish the sentence, as she watched him stand up and walk around his huge, wooden desk and coming closer to her.

"Rise, Bella," he hissed, and she quickly obeyed, forcing herself on her feet and looking straight into his eyes. _His eyes_… So beautiful, so intense, so… _Wake up_! She screamed in her head.

"You understand," she heard her Lord say, and she saw a slight smirk on his face. Had he seen what she was thinking? "…that, by coming here, you could have put your husband in even greater danger, and yourself as well along with him?"

Bellatrix nodded. Yes, she knew.

"I could punish _you_ in his place, if you're so desperate to save him," he added, amused by the look on her face.

"M-my Lord, I-" she stuttered, unaware of what to say.

"But, then, you didn't do anything wrong, apart form _disobeying_ your husband, of course," he added, now standing so close to her that she could kiss him…

"I… I didn't, my Lord… I always obey _you_, Master, I-"

"I know, my Bella, I know you would do anything for me," he said in a barely audible voice, that made Bellatrix shiver.

"Anything, my Lord…" she whispered, and then she froze completely. She saw his hands travel to her bust, and then touch and unbutton the first of the five buttons on the front of her dress. She instantly stopped breathing, her eyes wide open.

"M-master, I-"

"Yes, my Bella?" he asked lightly, as his hands undid the second and third of the buttons, his eyes now focused on what he was doing.

"I-" she didn't know what to say. She looked at his face, and his eyes looked up and straight into hers, making her feel really unfocused.

Then, in a sudden moment, his lips captured her own in a fierce, rough kiss, in which she responded passionately after overcoming the shock. He pulled her head back and kept kissing her, completely dominating her, and after several long seconds, he lifted her up again, breaking the kiss. She panted, and looked straight into his eyes, which were now glowing bright red. With one move that left her breathless, he pushed her hard against the wall and kissed her roughly again, only breaking the kiss for both to take some air.

"My Lord," she moaned, feeling something beyond pleasure and excitement, as his hands worked on her corset, loosening it and throwing it on the floor. He took her dress off, too, as he placed rough kisses on her neck, making her moan. Her hands flew to undo his own robes, but he pinned them against the wall, and bit down on her neck, making her groan in both pain and pleasure. After a while she attempted to reach down to kiss him once more, and, to her surprise, he allowed the kiss, while he started undoing his robes. Soon, they were both naked, both breathing heavily, so he hoisted her legs up and wrapped them around him.

"And what will your _dear husband_ say about this?" he breathed, looking just as aroused as her. She wrapped her hands around his neck, as if begging him to go on, and managed to growl "I don't care." And with that, he took her, sending her to heaven.

After a few hours, and once his lust was completely satisfied, she took her dress from the floor and redressed quickly, aware of the fact that he was watching her. She blushed and tried to speed up, and, once she was done, she straightened up and looked at her Lord, passion still burning in her eyes.

"Master," she said, but she didn't manage to say anything else.

He smirked. "I suppose, my Bella, that you understand that I will most likely expect this kind of service more often in the future," he said.

She grinned, unable to hide her enthusiasm. "Of course, my lord," she said.

"You may leave now," Voldemort said, and she realized it was time to go. She bowed her head and murmured "thank you," and turned around to leave.

"Oh, and Bella," she heard him say and turned her head, her eyes still full of passion. "You may tell your unworthy husband that lord Voldemort has decided to spare his life."

Bella nodded. "Thank you, my Lord," she said, and left the room, feeling something more than just excited. She didn't even notice that she had forgotten to redo the buttons of her dress.

Only a few hours later, Bellatrix was lying on her comfortable bed, next to her husband. She had carefully removed Rodolphus's arm which was protectively wrapped around her from her, and couldn't hold her smile. Her husband was really a fool. She hadn't been expecting such an outburst from him, but she had been able to quickly stand for herself and make the stupid man run to her and hug her, kiss her, and feel sorry for her. She was more than satisfied with her self.

Rodolphus actually thought that the Dark Lord had _raped_ her now, and that actually was to her benefit. Rodolphus would now do anything to comfort her, plus, he would owe her some bog favor for "sacrificing her self to save her love". Bellatrix smirked, and then feel asleep, in a sleep full of dreams of her master.


	3. Morning talk

When Rodolphus woke up the next morning, he didn't find his wife on the bed next to him. This didn't surprise him –Bellatrix always woke up earlier and left the bedroom before Rodolphus did. He stretched his arms and sat up, rubbing his forehead. He hadn't had much sleep, and was still very tired. He supposed he had slept for less than four hours, but the tension of last night and all the thoughts that were running through his mind all night hadn't let him sleep at all. Only when he had felt his Bella's breath slow down and her fragile beautiful body relax against him, had he allowed himself to relax as well. He wanted to make sure that she was calm and safe first, and then fall asleep as well.

All night he had been thinking about Bellatrix. He loved her. He loved her far more than anything in his life, and, after what she had done for him, he knew that she loved him, too, and that was enough to make him the happiest man alive. He would give his life for her; especially after last night's events. He had always loved her, he had loved her even before they got married. But he had always feared that she didn't feel the slightest thing for him, apart from the responsibility she had to her pure blood and her family to marry him. But now he was convinced that she did love him.

He only wished that she needn't have done something like that to prove it. But, she didn't do it to prove anything, she had only done that because she did love him after all. And he loved her back, with all of his heart.

But the thought of the sacrifice she had made for him was enough to make him feel like he would start crying. He had never asked her to do anything like that for him, but yet she had.

All night long he had tried to comfort her, reassure her that he wasn't angry, tell her that everything was alright. The way she had begged him to forgive her had broken his heart; he couldn't stand to see her broken like that, for something she had done for him. Only when she had stopped crying had he calmed down.

Now, Rodolphus was toying in his head with a sudden idea that had just popped in his mind. Why didn't he take Bella to his parents' old house, at France, only for a few weeks, for some vacation? It would help them both to calm down from all of this and escape their stressing lives for a while, and he would also spend some with her alone. They would be together, only them, and no one else telling them what to do and keeping them apart… The thought and only thrilled Rodolphus.

But, there was one big obstacle to his plans; the Dark Lord. Of course, he would never allow something like that. But Rodolphus swore that he would try his best to convince him. What was he asking for, after all? A few days away, nothing more. Sure, the Dark Lord would make it without two of his servants for a short time like this... Now, all he had to do was tell Bella. Rodolphus was sure that she would agree, and got beyond excited to tell her.

Quickly, he got up and dressed in simple, black robes and ran downstairs to the second floor, where he expected to find his wife. She was indeed in the breakfast room, sitting on one of the chairs around the big, wooden table, drinking from a small cup of coffee. However, her breakfast in front of her was still whole and it was obvious that she hadn't eaten anything. Once she saw him, she put the cup down and smiled at him.

"Good morning, Rod," she said lightly and Rodolphus walked around the table and next to her, then kissed her slightly on the cheek.

"Good morning, my love," he said. Bellatrix smiled, but didn't say anything else.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Yes… kinda," Bella replied, avoiding looking at him now. "You?  
>"I didn't sleep much," he confessed, and took his seat on the table close to her. Todd, the house elf showed up, with Rodolphus' breakfast, and placed it on the table in front of him. "Good morning master Lestrange," the house elf said and left quickly, without waiting for an answer.<p>

Bellatrix took another sip of her coffee, and then Rodolphus decided to share his idea with her.

"Bella," he started.

"Yes?"

"I was thinking…" he paused.

"What?" she asked, curiously.

"Well… you remember the house of my parents?"

"In France, yes. We had stayed there for a few days during our honeymoon," Bellatrix replied, her expression curious.

Rodolphus smiled. "I thought that… Maybe it would do good for both of us if we went there for a while. You know… Just the two of us, away from everyone… Just for a couple of weeks, and then-"

"What?" she asked, and Rodolphus could see she was shocked. "Rod, we can't just leave, we-"

"Don't worry, I think the Dark Lord won't have a problem with this, he-"

"He won't have a problem?" she repeated, and then her expression changed. It seemed almost angry. "Rodolphus," she started, "we won't go anywhere. We can't leave. Our place is here, next to the Dark Lord, we can't just go on vacation whenever we want!"

"But Bella, we both need it! After…" he took a small breath, "what happened, I think that some time away from all this would do us both very good!"

"Rodolphus!" she said, now raising her voice. "Being a servant of the Dark Lord isn't like being a member in a school club! We ought to always be here, ready to do whatever he asks!"

"But after what he did?" Rodolphus said, desperate. "How can you talk like this, when he-"

"I thought we agreed not to talk about this!" Bellatrix said angrily.

"I'm sorry, but, Bella-"

"Yes, he did _that_, but that doesn't change the fact that we remain his servants, and we should be loyal and we should be there to do what he wishes, for his cause! I believe what he believes, and so do you, Rodolphus, and we can't go on _vacation_ while we're at the brick of war!"

Rodolphus was silent now. Bellatrix was right –they couldn't just leave. He didn't care for the Dark Lord, and he didn't give a damn about the cause right now, but Bellatrix was right. This wasn't a school club he was in, this was his whole life, and he couldn't just walk away like that. When he looked up, he realized that he must have looked like a mess, because Bella's face instantly softened and she took his face in her hands.

"Rod," she whispered. "We are not like all these other… families. We _can__'__t_ be. We can't go abroad whenever we want for vacation, we can't do whatever we want, our lives are defined from what we have chosen to be. And we have chosen that because we believed in it. And we ought to still believe in it, we ought to _always_ believe in it – _I __do_." Her voice was soft now, calmed and rational. "Sometimes," she continued, "sometimes I think of how it would be like to be… out pf all this. But I always come to the conclusion that this is impossible even to imagine, because these are our lives, and we can't change them. And maybe _I_ don't even _want_ to. And even if I did, I better forget about it, because there is no way to do so. And you should think of that too," she added, a sad smile now forming on her lips.

Rodolphus sighed. Bella was right.

They both stood up, and looked in each others eyes.

"You're right," Rodolphus said finally, and kissed her.

She kissed back for a few seconds, but then broke the kiss.

"You will be at the meeting tonight, right?" she asked, surprising him.

"What meeting?" he questioned.

"Oh, you don't know. There is a meeting today at nine. The dark lord ordered me to tell you. He wants everyone to be there. Including you."

Rodolphus sighed.

"Yeah," he said, and Bella smiled.

"Good," she said, and quickly left the room, without glancing over to Rodolphus, who decided to go to the library and try to distract himself by readinbg something.

After half an hour, Bella was sitting alone in the kithcen, thinking. She should really stop saying those kind of things to Rodolphus. If she didn't, she was in danger of actually believing what she was saying.

The only thing that could take her mind away from her husband for a while was her lord. She quickly got up, put on a coat and left in a hurry, careful to go unnoticed by Rodolphus.

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><p><strong>A.N. So, I've finished chapter 3! I don't know why, but I really like writing Rodolphus. I never thought I'd enjoy writing him, but I eventually do… I also enjoy writing Bella, of course. Her wicked mind is such a thrill… There was not much Bella's POV in this, however, I really wanted to present the chapter by Rod's POV. Anyway, I hope you liked it, guys! **

**I want to thank all the people who have added this story to their alerts and favorites! I didn't think anyone was going to actually read this, yet add this to their favorites. Thanks, guys, you make me feel so loved :)**

**Reviews are also love:) It's really nice when you have some feedback, and people let you know of what they think of your writing. It will make me really happy -and give me an extra motive to update, 'course ;)**

**Anyway, thanks for reading :)**


	4. Second Visit

Only after making sure that Rodolphus hadn't noticed her did Bellatrix take out her wand to apparate to her lord's manor. She wasn't very sure about whether he would be there; she had never visited her Lord in his manor at this time of day before, and therefore didn't know if he would be somewhere else. She decided to go to the Malfoy Manor, where her sister Narcissa was sure to be, if she didn't find her Lord in his own house. Bellatrix never enjoyed visiting her sister at the Malfoy Manor, because of Cissa's husband; she had never liked Lucius. However, anywhere away from Rodolphus seemed like a better alternate to her at the moment.

After taking a quick glance behind her, she apparated and soon found herself in the middle of a long road made of stone, which was obvious to be quite old. She knew she had to follow the road to reach the Dark Lord's manor, which appeared to be at the middle of nowhere. There were no other buildings near, and Bellatrix could remember herself feeling extremely uncomfortable walking there in the middle of the night, going to her Lord, back when she was new to the Deatheaters. But it had become a habit by now, and she almost liked the loneliness and the dark aura of that place. But she had never come here at daylight, so she felt really weird, walking there, and hearing to some random birds from the few trees at the sides of the road.

After a few minutes, she was in front of the huge gates of the Dark Lord's manor, so she simply lifted her left forearm, which had the Dark Mark on it, for the gates to open and allow her in; only marked Deatheaters could pass through the gates, and that only when the Dark Lord himself was inside. Bellatrix felt instant relief when the gets opened, allowing her to come into the manor's gardens; it meant that her lord was there.

She crossed the gardens and soon she was outside of the huge front doors. She tried to push them, but, unlike last night, they were locked. She growled in frustration and knocked, waiting for someone to open. She waited for a couple of minutes, shifting her weight from one foot to another, until the doors opened, and she came face to face with Wormtail.

"B-Bellatrix?" he asked and blinked, obviously not expecting to see her. "What are you doing here?"

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Wormtail," she said coolly. "What are _you_ doing in the Dark Lord's manor?"

"Oh, I… Umm…I'm helping out, I-"

"Don't worry, I got it. You're here instead of a house elf. Makes sense," Bellatrix smirked and pushed him aside to walk in.

"Hey! The Dark Lord himself told me to come here, I can provide information, and I-"

"Cook, clean, and do housework. Once again, makes sense," Bellatrix sneered, enjoying watching the look of hurt across the short man's face.

"Hey!" Wormtail exclaimed once she started walking down the hall to get to the living room. "You can't just come here without the Dark Lord's invitation, he wasn't expecting you to come today! You can't-"

"Was he expecting someone else?" Bellatrix asked, turning around to look at Wormtail.

"Well, Lucius would come to inform him about that whole thing with the guy _your husband_ messed up keeping imprisoned," Wormtail said with a grin, obviously thinking that his words had hurt Bellatrix.

"Well, I'm obviously not Lucius," Bellatrix said in a mocking tone, making the triumphant look on Pettigrew's face disappear, "but I do think the Dark Lord won't be displeased to have me around instead of you," she added with a smirk, and turned her back to the shocked man and climbed up the stairs to her lord's study room.

She pushed the door lightly and entered, but was surprised to see that the room was empty. She took a quick look around, but the Dark Lord wasn't there. "My Lord?" she asked quietly, not expecting to get an answer.

"Yes, Bella?" she heard a familiar voice from behind her and quickly turn around and saw lord Voldemort looking at her with a slight smirk crossing his thin lips. She instantly fell on her knees and looked down. "My Lord," she murmured, unaware of what to say. Why was she there in first place? He hadn't summoned her, probably she would get punished for showing up for absolutely no reason…

He walked around her and stood behind his huge wooden desk, his smirk never leaving his face. "May I ask you the reason of your visit?" he asked in a low voice that made Bellatrix shiver. His voice had always had a huge impact on her, and especially after last night's events… Then, a single thought crept up in her mind. Did the Dark Lord think that she had come here because she wanted more?

"I… My Lord… Well…" she stuttered, unable to find the proper words to say something.

"Bellatrix, I would like you to look at me while talking to me," she heard him say, and immediately turned around to look straight into his eyes, never leaving her kneeling position. The fact that his eyes pierced through her like that didn't help things at all, and now she couldn't say anything.

"Master," she managed to speak after some moments of awkward silence, "I just… I just didn't want to stay with Rodolphus…" she said, lowering her eyes to the floor.

"And why so, Bella?" he asked, sending shivers down her spine. She always felt that when he called her by her pet name.

"I just… Well… He got really annoying," she said finally, not daring to look up at him. She tried her best to keep her mind closed; she didn't want him to know anything of the conversation she had had with her husband.

"And what would you do if you didn't find me here, Bella? I believe you had no idea about whether I would be here or not, am I correct?"

"I would go to my sister's home, my lord," she replied quietly.

"However, it turned out that I am here, and you won't have to face Lucius, whom you so dislike," Voldemort said, while sitting down on his armchair behind the desk.

Bellatrix simply nodded.

"May I ask why Rodolphus annoyed you so much?" Voldemort asked once again.

Bellatrix looked up at him, struggling to find something to tell him. Eventually, she decided to tell him the truth; or, at least, a part of it.

"Well, he proposed that we do something that I find extremely weird and annoying, my lord," she said, hoping that he wouldn't ask what this was.

"And, what was it that he proposed that you found so absurd?" Voldemort insisted, making Bellatrix look down once more.

"He… He proposed that we go to his parents' old house, at France, for a week… off," she said, unable to hide the disgust in her voice. "The two of us," she added, and she heard Voldemort chuckle.

"So, Rodolphus has decided to go for vacation with his dear wife?" he asked mockingly, making Bellatrix blush from anger and embarrassment.

"My Lord, I told him that he is stupid, and there is absolutely no way that we will do such thing," she rushed to say, trying to somehow defend herself. "I would never leave your side, master, you know that!"

"Yes, Bella, I know that," Voldemort answered, and Bellatrix noticed that he looked sincere, so she instantly felt relieved.

"But do tell me," the Dark Lord continued, now sounding more curious than mocking, "what made him think that he could just take you and leave for… vacation?"

Bellatrix sighed and rolled her eyes, suddenly feeling much more confident with talking to her master. "He told me that he wanted to… escape from the events of the last couple of days, and spend some time alone with me," she said.

Voldemort raised an eyebrow. "So, he thought that he is forgiven, just like that? He thought that he could come to me, tell me that he wants the week off, take his wife and go to vacation, completely ignoring the fact that his worthless life could come to an end because he simply failed at the simplest of tasks…" he said, mostly talking to himself. "Maybe I should have killed him in first place," he said after a few seconds of silence. "But then, I ought to acknowledge the fact that your …persuasion, my Bella, was what made me change my mind…"

Bellatrix blushed at his words, feeling beyond excited to hear him talk like that about her.

"However," he added, "I believe I ought to punish him for his failure… He can't just get away like that… I have decided to spare his life, but he must be punished. And that will happen tonight, at the meeting. Just so you know, Bella," he added with an evil smirk, that made Bellatrix shiver, but she couldn't feel sorry for her husband. She would save her acting skills for the meeting.

"But, do tell me, Bella," Voldemort said suddenly. "How did your dear husband react to the… incidents of last night?"

Bellatrix gasped. What was she going to tell him now? "Master… He…" she had no idea of what to say. In all of a sudden, she felt completely vulnerable. However, she decided to tell him the truth. She knew she wouldn't get away with lies, no one ever did with the Dark Lord.

"My Lord, he thinks that… He thinks that you…" she started, but she found herself unable to finish her words.

"Don't tell me that he thinks that I raped you," Voldemort said with a smirk, and saw Bellatrix nod in embarrassment.

Bellatrix heard a low laugh come from him, and dared to look up and meet his eyes, which were now glowing with amusement.

"Things are much more amusing than I thought they were," she heard him say, and she looked at him with confusion. What was he saying?

"My Lord?" she wondered quietly, but he looked down at her, still smirking.

"This is such a great punishment for him, don't you think, my Bella?" he asked, and stood up, walking closer to her.

"Master, I don't know what you mean," she replied in a trembling voice, unaware of whether her Lord was playing with her feelings or being serious.

"Feeling that all that happened to his beloved wife is his entire fault, that he was the one who made his wife 'sacrifice' for him… But being unable to do a thing to help things out…" Now he was standing so close to Bellatrix, that she thought she would forget how to breathe properly.

"Rise, Bella," he commanded in a silky voice and she obliged, quickly standing up and looking straight into his burning eyes.

"You may tell Rodolphus whatever you want, as long as he feels responsible… But of course, this doesn't mean that he will get away with his punishment tonight… Make sure that he will be at the meeting, Bella. I trust you can do this?"

Bellatrix nodded, and she could feel the passion burning inside her once more.

"Good," he breathed, and then crashed his lips on hers, unable to hold back any longer. Bellatrix responded immediately, wrapping her hands around his neck and pulling him closer to her. To her surprise, he allowed her to do so, and kissed her back even harder, wrapping his arms around her waist. She moaned against his mouth, completely lost in her passion.

In all of a sudden, he pushed her away, making her crash aginst the wall, and fixed his eyes on the door, which suddenly opened. Lucius Malfoy ran in the room but stopped, after his eyes saw Bellatrix.

"My Lord," she said bowing his head and then turned his gaze to Bellatrix. "Bellatrix?" he questioned, obviously not expecting to find her there.

"Lucius," Bellatrix responded coldly, after fixing her hair slightly, and then bowed to Voldemort. "My Lord, I should be leaving now," she said quietly, and waited for his permission to leave.

"Yes, Bella, I think so, too," he said in his usual cold voice, no evidence of the previous events showing in his face or voice, and Bellatrix turned around and left the room without even glancing at Lucius, after murmuring a quick "thank you, my lord".

Voldemort sat on his armchair behind the desk and waited for Lucius to speak. The blond man bowed low and then asked, before hesitating: "My Lord, may I ask what Bellatrix was doing here? Did she have information about that Mudblood, who-"

"It's not any of your business, Lucius," Voldemort hissed, silencing Lucius. He was already angry with his servant for popping in without any warning.

While Lucius was speaking, he was barely paying any attention. His mind was once again full of images of Bellatrix; her beautiful, warm body against his, moving with him, her soft lips kissing his neck, her small, fragile arms wrapped around him… She was all he had been thinking during the whole day, and he hadn't been able to take the events of last night out of his head. But he had always been an expert at hiding his thoughts and emotions, and therefore there was no way Bellatrix or anyone else would realize that his encounter with Bella had affected him so much. There was no way he would let Bellatrix realize the effect that night had had on him. And probably he shouldn't allow himself realize that, either.

"And I suppose you have tracked the mudblood down?" he asked, when he noticed that Lucius had stopped talking.

"Yes, my lord," he said with pride in his voice.

"Good. I want you to capture him and bring him at the meeting tonight. If you fail me, then the consequences will be... unpleasant. Just how it is going to be for mr. Lestrange, who dared to dissapoint Lord Voldemort."

"Of course, my lord."

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><p><strong>A.N Lucius is such a *censored* …. He showed up right at the perfect moment… :/ Oh well, what can we do?**

**Hope you liked the chapter, guys! Next one will be the meeting :)**

**Once again, thank you for supporting by adding this to your alerts and favosrites (love u!) I was very surprised by how many of you did so! :) Reviews are also love :)**

**XXX**


	5. Beginning of a punishment

"What do you mean 'why didn't I let you know'?" asked Bellatrix, obviously irritated with her husband's questions.

Rodolphus sighed. "I mean, Bella, why didn't you tell me you were leaving? I was searching for you for hours!" he exclaimed, confused with his wife's sudden unwillingness to talk to him. Earlier that day, when they were having breakfast, she had been so warm, so gentle, so affectionate towards him… And then she had left the manor, without giving Rodolphus a clue of where she was going, and now, she was back home after three whole hours, and obviously her mood wasn't at its best.

"I didn't consider it to be necessary," Bellatrix replied flatly, and quickly apparated to the third floor, directly out of the master bedroom. Apparently she wasn't in the mood to even walk upstairs.

Rodolphus immediately did the same, following Bellatrix inside the bedroom, determined to find out where she had gone, and why she was trying so hard to avoid him.

"Will you tell me where you went?" he asked as he watched her taking off her coat and leather boots.

"Does it matter?" she shrugged and walked over to the mirror to check on her appearance, obviously trying to seem indifferent.

"Yes, it does!" Rodolphus insisted, unable to take the thought that something that he wouldn't like had happened out of his mind.

"And why so?" Bellatrix asked, turning around to face him, allowing him to see the expression of something like anger spread across her face.

"Because," Rodolphus started, now worried, "we are married, Bella, and I would like to know where my wife goes when she leaves the house. Without telling anything to me," he added, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice.

"I was at my sister's house," Bellatrix said sharply, and sat down on the bed, her eyes leaving his and focusing on the mattress. "Happy?"

"Actually, no," Rodolphus replied. "I contacted Narcissa and she told me she had no idea of where you were."

"Really? And how did you do so?" Bellatrix insisted, still not looking at him.

"I went to the Malfoy manor, Bellatrix, and she was the only one there. Lucius had already left, and you most definitely weren't there," Rodolphus answered, sitting down on the bed, right next o her. "Bella," he started, now his voice smoother, calmer. "Bella, please, tell me where you went. I don't have any secrets from you, and I beg you to do so, too. Why are you insisting on not telling me?"

Bellatrix finally looked up and straight into his eyes, and he could now see the sadness in them. "I…" she started, but didn't say anything further.

"Yes?" Rodolphus asked, desperately wanting to find out where she had been, but at the same time feeling that maybe he wouldn't like the answer after all.

"I was with the Dark Lord…At his manor," she said finally, dropping her gaze to the floor, and slightly pulling away from her husband.

"With the Dark Lord?" Rodolphus repeated, shocked that _he _had called Bella again, after what he had done to her that night. "W-why?" he asked.

"Because he summoned me," Bellatrix replied quietly, as if asking him to forgive her for something terrible she had done.

"And what did he want?" Rodolphus wanted to know, fearing for the worst, and suddenly feeing the urge to wrap his arms around his wife and hold her in his embrace until that sadness left her beautiful eyes.

"He… He…" she said, but Rodolphus could see that she couldn't finish her sentence, and he understood.

"Oh Merlin," he whispered, and tried to hug her, but she didn't let him. "Bella, I'm so sorry…"

He saw her looking at him with confusion. "Why are you sorry?" she asked, and with that, he felt his heart break. He was the one who was responsible for all this, if it wasn't for him, his Bella wouldn't…

"Because it's my fault," he said, his voice cracking. "If I hadn't failed on my mission, you…"

Bellatrix didn't reply, and that only made Rodolphus feel even worse.

"Bella, I-"

"He didn't do anything," Bellatrix said suddenly, as if wanting to somehow comfort him.

"What do you mean?" Rodolphus asked, puzzled, though the guilt wouldn't leave his heart.

"He didn't do anything. Lucius came, and of course he didn't do anything in front of him. So he let me go," Bellatrix explained, as if talking to herself. "Lucius knows nothing about this, neither does anyone else," she continued, and her eyes met her husband's. "Rodolphus, please," she said in a barely audible voice, "don't tell anyone about this."

Rodolphus once again went to hug her, but she pulled away and got up. "Of course I won't-" he tried to comfort her, but was cut off.

"Thank you," Bellatrix said, her face now seeming completely emotionless, and Rodolphus could sense that she didn't want to talk about it. "And…Rod…" she continued, her tone flat and emotionless, "Tonight, at the meeting, please don't tell him anything about this. Just… don't ask any questions, don't talk about that incidence with the mudblood, and try to be done with this as quickly as possible. He's still very angry, Rod, and he _will_ punish you."

Rodolphus nodded, unaware of what to say next, completely taken off-guard by Bella's sudden plead. He tried to smile and reassure her that everything would be alright, but, when he lifted his head to look at her, he realized she was already out of the room.

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><p>Bellatrix didn't bother to glance at Rodolphus when they both took out their wands to apparate straight to the Dark Lord's manor for the scheduled meeting. She knew that tonight, the main topic to discuss would be the filthy mudblood that had caused her husband to fall from grace in the ranks of the Deatheaters like that. She knew that every Deatheater would be laughing at Rodolphus, and she wouldn't be hesitant to do so too, if she didn't need his trust as a husband.<p>

A few seconds later, both Bellatrix and Rodolphus were out of the huge gates of the Dark Lord's manor, which were barely visible in the dark of the night. They heard someone apparating a few meters away from them, and Bellatrix turned around to see that it was Dolohov. He quickly approached the gates, and when he realized the Lestrange couple's presence, he smirked slightly at Rodolphus. Bellatrix knew that her husband had never had the best relationships with the tall Deatheater.

"Lestrange," Dolohov smirked, but Bellatrix didn't give her husband time to answer. She realized that Dolohov probably wanted to mock Rodolphus for his failure, and she wasn't in the mood to argue.

"Dolohov," she said coolly, making the other Deatheater's eyes turn on her, and the annoying smirk on his face disappear.

"Bellatrix," he said, "I see that you've decided to show up with your husband… I wouldn't call that a wise choice, if you want my opinion," he commented, his eyes lingering questionably from Rodolphus to Bellatrix. Obviously, he had expected Bellatrix, being proud and beyond her husband, to show up alone and go stand to the right of lord Voldemort, without even glancing at Rodolphus.

"Well, I happen to not want your opinion, Dolohov," she hissed, before Rodolphus could say anything. "Now, if you please, let us go inside, because I believe you are well aware of the fact that the Dark Lord isn't satisfied when someone shows up late for a meeting," she added and passed through the gates, without looking at the two men behind her.

Soon, the three of them were in the meeting room, which was surfaced with a huge black wooden table and chairs with enough space for thirty people to sit, a stone fireplace with silver snakes sculptured around it, Voldemort's throne-like chair at the top of the table, and a huge chandelier hanging from the high ceiling.

Bellatrix realized that they were the last to arrive, since all the other Deatheaters were already there, some already seated and the others still deciding where to sit. Once they saw the Lestrange couple and Dolohov enter the room, they all turned their heads to their direction. Bellatrix could see their surprise at the fact that she stood next to her husband's side, and she could also see that Rodolphus seemed very awkward, but yet relieved that he at least had Bellatrix next to him. She struggled to hide her anger at all of them, for looking at her like that, but she still didn't leave Rodolphus's side. After all, she was somehow following her lord's orders. She actually didn't like that she had to lie like that, because being so affectionate towards her husband was something that annoyed her greatly, for she was never a loving, affectionate, obedient wife. However, she thought, her lord hadn't told her to be loving like that; he had only told her to fill him with guilt and make him believe that she was getting punished because of him, and therefore over-affectionate gestures weren't necessary. Good for me, she thought, yet she couldn't do anything now.

Without talking to anyone, she took a seat at the middle of the table, next to where Rodolphus sat, which made everyone look at her in surprise. In every meeting, Bellatrix Lestrange sat at the Dark Lord's right, along with Lucius Malfoy, who sometimes sat at his right when Bellatrix was absent or she had failed Voldemort.

All the murmurs ceased when the door suddenly opened and the Dark Lord entered the room, the hem of his robes flowing elegantly as he walked, his burning crimson eyes scanning the room to see if everyone was present. Bellatrix thought that his eyes lingered on her for a little longer, and she also thought that she saw something like surprise in them to find her sitting next to Rodolphus. But, after all, it could easily be just her imagination. She was grateful, though, that his eyes passed casually over Rodolphus, without stopping for a second, and she was even more grateful that he didn't make any comment on her husband. _For now, a least_.

Lord Voldemort took his seat on the throne-like chair, as he always did, and without even glancing at Bellatrix or Rodolphus, he started the meeting, by asking Lucius about the progress of gathering allies from the insides of the Ministry. Bellatrix was relieved that he hadn't said anything about Rodolphus's failure, but she was also slightly disappointed; she hadn't received even one glance from the Dark Lord, not even one tiny glance, after all that had happened…

During the meeting, she found it almost impossible to focus on what lord Voldemort and all the others were saying. She remained quiet, lost in her own thoughts, which were mostly about what she was going to do with Rodolphus and about her encounters with her master. She snapped out of her thoughts when the door opened again and a body came flying inside, as if hung upside down with an invisible chain. She immediately recognized the bruised, pathetic man; he was the mudblood, the mudblood that had escaped her husband. She felt Rodolphus stiffen next to her, as Voldemort spoke.

"Shawn Greggory, age 32, Ministry employee, Mudblood," he hissed, not bothering to hide the disgust in his voice as he spat the last word. "Mr. Greggory, who had so kindly accepted to join us here tonight, had been contacting one of my servants, and gathering information about us."

Everyone in the room gasped, for they all knew that the Mudblood had valuable information about the Deatheaters, but no one knew that there was a traitor among them, a traitor who had been giving away these valuable information to the man who was now struggling to break free from the invisible chains that were holding him in the air. With a lazy flick of Voldemort's wand, the man fell on the stone floor with a loud bang, pathetically bracing himself to ease the pain he obviously felt.

There were small laughs and chuckles from around the room, but Bellatrix wasn't in the mood to laugh at the man's lame attempts to stand on his feet. She watched Rodolphus with the corner of her eye, and she could see that he knew the time for his punishment, or whatever the Dark Lord was planning for him, had come.

"Rodolphus," Voldemort hissed softly, and Bellatrix saw her husband lift his head up hesitantly to look into her master's burning eyes. "I suppose you recognize our guest, do you not?" he asked, his voice threateningly calm.

Rodolphus nodded slightly, and Bellatrix knew that everyone's eyes were now focused on her husband.

"Of course you do," Voldemort acknowledged with a quiet hiss, "since, I had thought that you were worthy of my trust to keep this filthy excuse of a man imprisoned. And, if I am correct, you had sworn that you would meet my expectations and you wouldn't fail me… Aren't I right?" he asked, his red eyes glowing, focused on Rodolphus, who now seemed scared for his life. "And yet," Voldemort continued, "what happened? What happened, Mr. Lestrange?"

Rodolphus opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Bellatrix refused to look at him, and preferred to keep her eyes focused on her lord, even though his full attention was now on her husband, whose hand was shaking under the table. _How pathetically weak_, Bellatrix thought, angry Rodolphus's lack of confidence and courage.

"What happened, Rodolphus?" Voldemort insisted, ignoring Shawn Greggory's small groans of pain.

"I… I failed you, master," Rodolphus said finally, and Bellatrix fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Exactly," Voldemort said softly. "You failed me. Could you tell us why, Rodolphus?"

Rodolphus didn't say anything, and Bellatrix felt like she was going to punch him in the face. _Say_ _something, you ignorant fool_!

"Did you think that a task that lord Voldemort has given you is not worth your full attention?" Voldemort wondered, his voice becoming quieter, more like a venomous hiss in every word. "Or, perhaps, you had other things in mind? Say, if your dear wife will share your bed as you wish, just for this time?" he asked, and Bellatrix's cheeks flushed with color. Luckily, no one commented or even made a sound at that.

"It's a pity you have failed me, Rodolphus…Pity, really…" And then, without any warning, he raised his wand and aimed straight to Rodolphus's chest. "Crucio," he hissed, and everyone watched as the Deatheater fell off his chair with a scream of pain, and writhed on the floor in pain and agony, unable to stop the cries of pain. Everyone remained silent as Rodolphus's punishment went on. Finally, after a minute that lasted like hours, Voldemort lifted the curse. "Regretting being so careless, Lestrange?" he asked softly, but didn't wait for an answer. "Crucio," he hissed again, and more screams filled the room.

Bellatrix kept her eyes on the surface of the table, patiently waiting for the torture to end. She knew her husband deserved this, and much more, for failing the Dark Lord like that. Voldemort stopped the curse again, and fixed his eyes on Rodolphus's trembling form, who was gasping for air and grasping desperately on the stone floor. It was obvious that this time, the curse had been very strong. "Tell me, Rodolphus," Voldemort hissed, "will you fail me again?"

Rodolphus inhaled deeply, trying to get some air in his lungs. "N-no, master," he said in a weak voice, his throat sore from the screaming.

"Good," Voldemort said, and then hit him with another cruciatus, something that Rodolphus obviously hadn't predicted.

_Fool_, Bellatrix thought. After a few minutes, and after Rodolphus's punishment was finally over, Voldemort ordered everyone to leave the room, for the meeting was over. "No, not you, Bellatrix," he hissed, once Bellatrix stood up and bent forward to help Rodolphus stand up. "You will stay, along with your husband."

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><p><strong>A.N I'm sorry this took so long to update, but I was so busy...Once again, I want to thank everyone who supports me by adding this to their alerts and favorites, and special thanks to those who took the time and left a review :) It's really great to have some feedback :) I hope you liked this chapter! Next one will be up sooner!**


	6. Hurt

"_Sometimes, men are just too stubborn to realize that the woman they run after is far long gone, maybe gone after some other man, who makes her feel whole, not caring for the love someone else is so willing to give her. Or maybe, men are just too lovestruck to realize that. Either way, the only outcome is hurt._"

_~Nadia Boul_é__

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><p>Bellatrix froze in her place at the sound of the Dark Lord's voice, trying to figure out why he had ordered her and Rodolphus to stay back. He hadn't told her anything about holding them on later after the meeting, and therefore didn't know how to act. She straightened her back and watched at her master's expression carefully. For a second, she thought she saw something in his eyes when his gaze fixed on her, she thought she saw that beautiful glow she had seen in his eyes that night… But just when she was about to take another look, Voldemort turned his gaze on Rodolphus, who was now struggling to get on his feet.<p>

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, and awkwardly shifted her weight from one foot to another, waiting for her husband to stand up, refusing to watch his pathetic attempts. Finally, after a few seconds passed, Rodolphus stood on his feet, the pain from the previous cruciatus curses Voldemort had thrown to him still obvious on him.

The Dark Lord wasn't talking, and there was an awkward silence in the big room, that was only broken from Shawn Greggory's weak groans of pain as he still struggled to break free from the invisible chains that were holding him on the floor. Bellatrix found herself unable to take this any longer, so she decided to say something.

"My lord…?" she questioned quietly, hoping that her master would tell her why he had ordered her and Rodolphus to stay. She felt Rodolphus next to her tremble, as if waiting for more curses to hit him.

"Yes, Bella?" Voldemort hissed, his expression plain and unreadable.

"Umm…My lord…Why did you order us to stay?" Bellatrix asked, and then she realized she should try to hide the passion that filled her voice when she talked to her master, for she had forgotten Rodolphus was there, too. With the corner of her eye, she watched Rodolphus as he fixed his eyes on her, obviously being afraid. Yet, Bellatrix couldn't tell if he was afraid of his own life or hers.

"My Bella," Voldemort hissed, a cruel smile crossing his lips, "did you really think your worthless husband would get away with only a few curses?"

Bellatrix couldn't help but shudder at the sound of his voice and the cruel, threatening smile on his face. Was he going to torture Rodolphus again?

"Did you, Rodolphus?" Voldemort asked, his eyes piercing through Rodolphus.

"N-no, master," he said in a trembling voice, his gaze lowered to the floor.

"I was thinking, Rodolphus, that you still haven't thanked me properly for being so merciful and deciding to spare your life… In fact, you're only making me question that decision of mine…"

Bellatrix looked at her husband, who was now pulling a great effort to look Voldemort straight into his eyes, and she hoped that he wouldn't say anything to "defend" his precious wife or anything, if the Dark Lord decided to take this even further.

"I…I… Thank you, my lord," she heard him say weakly, and she silently thanked Merlin for the fact that he kept silent and obedient.

"But, I think, that maybe it isn't me that you should thank, after all," Voldemort hissed, and Bellatrix realized where he was going. "In fact, I believe that you will agree with me when I say that you should, first of all, thank your wife."

Bellatrix decided not to say anything and shot a quick glance at Rodolphus before locking her gaze on the floor, but this split second was enough to see the desperation and shock in his face. She hadn't expected that the Dark Lord would want to take things to a length like that, with both her and her husband present, but she knew better than to question him, and, whatever he did, she knew it was right. And, perhaps, her husband did deserve this. After all, he had acted like a fool, daring to disappoint her master like that.

"I-" she heard Rodolphus say, and she could tell that he had no idea of what to say. Probably because he still thought that all this was a sacrifice made by his beloved Bella. And, obviously, Voldemort had decided to play around with those feelings of Rodolphus, and Bellatrix would be more than glad to help her lord, as long as it meant that she would still get to be with him.

"Not _you_, Rodolphus, your wife," Voldemort said softly, and Bellatrix knew, without looking, that a cruel grin was spread across his face. She felt him coming closer to her from behind and she closed her eyes, fighting the urge to throw herself at him, reminding herself that Rodolphus was in the room, reminding herself of what her lord had told her. "_You_, Rodolphus, didn't do anything but fail me... Unlike Bella…" Bellatrix heard Voldemort's hissing voice from behind her, and then she suddenly felt his hands rest possessively on her shoulders. She immediately opened her eyes and stiffened under his touch, desperately screaming to herself that her husband was there, that she shouldn't show pleasure at this… And probably her lord wouldn't want her to seem pleased at what he was doing, either. After all, it was a punishment for Rodolphus. For the moment, at least.

Her eyes locked on Rodolphus's face, who was obviously trying to say something. He knew that objecting to the Dark Lord would only make things worse, but Bellatrix could clearly see a flash of anger in his eyes, and the sudden urge to scream something like "get away from my wife!". She took her eyes away and tried to focus on something else, trying not to snap at her husband and tell him that he was nothing compared to her lord, that her master would do whatever he wanted and Rodolphus was no one, no one to tell him what to do.

"Why are you remaining so _silent_, Rodolphus?" Voldemort hissed, his hands never leaving Bellatrix's shoulders, his voice sending shivers down the witch's spine. Bellatrix felt her lord's body press tighter against hers, and she had to bite her lower lip to hold back a moan, and also close her eyes so that she didn't have to meet Rodolphus's outraged and shocked eyes. Obviously, he couldn't believe that lord Voldemort was doing _that_ in front of him. Then, Bellatrix felt her master's breath tingling the tender skin of her neck lightly, and she realized he had lowered his lips to her neck; it took all of her willpower to stop herself from turning around and kissing him.

She heard Rodolphus gasp from where he was standing, but she didn't bother with looking at him. She kept her eyes firmly closed, wanting to avoid showing any emotions, and she struggled to stay still and seemingly awkward for her husband to see that she was most definitely not enjoying this. But, at the same time, she didn't want to fake like that when being with her lord, for she wanted him to know how much she longed for him…

The Dark Lord held her firmly against him, ignoring Rodolphus's shocked expression. Bellatrix would swear that she heard Voldemort say "don't do anything", in a voice barely audible, just for her to hear, not louder than a whisper. And yet, his lips hadn't moved, but Bellatrix was sure she had heard him whisper those words to her. Then his cold lips brushed against her neck, and her hands grasped on her dress, as if trying to keep from wrapping around him. She didn't respond, as her master had told her, and she simply stood there, her eyes closed tightly, feeling Voldemort's possessive hold around her body.

"Don't touch her!" Rodolphus's angry voice snapped her out of the moment, and she opened her eyes to see her outraged husband looking at them with eyes wide open with disbelief. She felt the Dark Lord smirk against her skin, and then slightly away from her, but still not releasing his hold on her.

"And why shouldn't I?" Voldemort hissed, now pulling his wand out of the pocket of his long, black robes.

Rodolphus was silenced for a moment, but he soon seemed to gain some courage. "Because she's my wife!" he growled, shocking Bellatrix with his lack of respect. However, Voldemort only chuckled.

"And _I_ am her master," he said softly, but threateningly.

"She hasn't done anything! It was me who failed!" Rodolphus yelled desperately.

"Exactly. You failed me, and your wife persuaded me not to kill you. And i should let you know, Rodolphus, she is _very_ good at _persuading_," Voldemort hissed, his smirk never leaving his face.

"Don't touch her!"

"You mean like _that_?" Voldemort asked, and Bellatrix felt his left hand moving lower to her hip, and once again struggled to keep herself from sighing in pleasure.

In a sudden moment that took her breath away, Voldemort turned her around, grabbed her wrists and covered her mouth with his own, pulling her in a rough, violent kiss. Under other circumstances, she would have immediately responded into the kiss with more passion than she had ever kissed anyone else before, but she remembered of her husband's presence and her lord's order to remain unresponsive. She pulled back a little, more weakly than she had planned, and made a sound against his mouth, moving her wrists slightly, as if in an attempt to escape him. Obviously, he didn't like her reactions, so he toughened his hold on her wrists, bruising them, his mouth never leaving hers, his tongue probing through her lips. She didn't kiss back, but groaned from the pain he caused her by the way he twisted her arms by the wrists.

"_Don't touch her_!" she heard Rodolphus scream once again, and then she was free from the Dark Lord's violent hold. Everything happened within a second; she almost fell backwards as Voldemort released her completely without warning, while at the same time Rodolphus fell on the floor screaming under the pain of a cruciatus curse that Voldemort had just thrown at him.

She backed away a few steps and watched as the Dark Lord tortured her husband. This time, the punishment lasted almost half an hour. The room was filled with Rodolphus's desperate screams, which only ceased for a few seconds before they started again. She couldn't feel sorry for him; all she could think of was when his punishment would finally end, so he would leave her and her master alone.

Finally, Voldemort lifted the last curse and looked down at his servant with cold, unmerciful eyes. "Have you learned that you must _never_ fail me, Rodolphus?" he asked coolly, his wand still aiming the man's chest. Rodolphus managed to nod, and after a few seconds, he was standing on his feet, mostly thanks to the shame he felt for being tortured like that in front of Bella and his willingness to show bravery. "Excellent," Voldemort hissed, and then added "you are permitted to leave, now."

Rodolphus struggled to make a few steps closer to Bella, and extended his arm to her. "Come, Bella," he whispered, wanting to leave that place as quickly as possible.

"No, Rodolphus, _you_ will leave. Your wife will stay here, with me," Voldemort hissed.

Rodolphus looked straight into Bellatrix's eyes, as if begging her to disobey Voldemort and follow her husband, in the safety of their home. Bellatrix realized that it was her turn to do something. "Go," she whispered, "I'll be fine." Rodolphus looked at her, obviously not believing her, being afraid for her, not wanting to leave her.

"Leave, _now_!" Voldemort hissed, and Rodolphus realized that there was nothing else to do. Despite his obvious unwillingness, he bowed to Voldemort, trying to ignore the pain from the curses, and he was soon out of the room, away from the manor, leaving Bellatrix and Voldemort alone.

"My Bella, I must admit you are a wonderful actor," Voldemort smirked, and Bella imitated him.

"Thank you, my lord," she said, and took a step closer to him.

"I almost forgot," Voldemort said suddenly, before Bellatrix could reach him. He pointed his wand at the trembling form of Shawn Greggory, who was still struggling with the invisible chains on the cold stone floor. "I've taken everything I want to know from him," the Dark Lord said, and then said dismissively: "Avada Kedavra", and the ministry employ was hit by a flash of green light, and lied dead on the floor.

"Now, my Bella," Voldemort smirked, and hid his wand back in his robes. "Do you think that we should move somewhere else? One of the bedrooms, perhaps?"

Bellatrix didn't reply. She simply threw herself at him and kissed him, completely emptying her mind from any thoughts of Rodolphus.

* * *

><p>A.N Hey everyone! First of all, I want to thank everyone who supports this story by reading, adding it to their alerts and favorites, and especially those who take the time and leave a review with their thoughts! You really make me want to coninue with this :)

So, I honestly don't know how the bloody socks of Dobby I came up with this chapter. This is nothing close to what I had planned to write. But, I suspect I may like hurting Rod, because I can't explain it in any other way... In the original plan, I was going to have Voldemort simply toture Rodolphus, then some kind of dialogue between them, and then Bella/Rod moments. But, it turned out to be this. Probably beacuse the idea of the dark lord doing this to Rodolphus intruiged me in such way, that I wouldn't find peace if I didn't write it. Oh well... I hope you liked it :)


	7. Can't be

_"People often do things, even when they know that they will hurt someone else. Perhaps that's when they do things most. It's weird, actually, but that's how we all work. But then comes the moment when you think that maybe you should stop, and yet you don't want to. So you don't, and you erase the pain you are causing from your mind. It's simple."_

_~Melina Perez_

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><p>"You're dismissed now, Bella."<p>

"_What_?" Bellatrix didn't manage to stop the single word that escaped her mouth when she heard her master's words. She sat up on the bed and fixed her puzzled eyes on him, who was already re-dressing.

"You are dismissed," Voldemort repeated flatly. "You may leave."

Bellatrix frowned. She had thought that her lord had wanted to be with her for the night, and yet here he was now, telling her to leave him. She had hoped that they would spend the night together, but it was obvious that she had been wrong. "Master, you know I would gladly stay-" she started, but was cut off by him.

"I don't need you to," Voldemort hissed as he finished with his robes. "Go back to your husband."

Bellatrix had no idea of why he was treating her like that. Only a minute ago he was holding her in his arms, kissing her, and now he was being so cold towards her, and even threatening. "But I don't want to go-"

"I didn't ask for your opinion, Bellatrix," Voldemort said coldly and the use of her full name made Bellatrix realize that he was being serious. However, she didn't want to give up so easily. The few hours they had spent together that night had been amazing, every single moment had seemed to her like heaven, and she most definitely didn't want to go back to her dull husband and once again start lying and pretending to be oh so hurt and damaged.

"Why, my lord?" she questioned, pulling the satin sheets around her as he watched him throw her dress right in front of her on the mattress, clearly ordering her to get dressed. She didn't receive an answer, only a cold, impatient gaze, and she dared to speak again. "Didn't I please you?" she asked, now fearing that he was not satisfied with her, and therefore wanted to get rid of her.

"Yes, Bellatrix, you did please me, but I have other things to do that cuddling with you all night," the Dark Lord spat angrily.

"But I don't wan-"

"Of course you do, Bellatrix, you're hoping that we are going to rest on the bed for the rest of the night, in each other's arms, kissing and cuddling," he hissed, obviously disgusted. "I have work to do, and you will leave, _now_."

"Master, I-"

"_Now_."

Bellatrix knew she would get punished if she objected him, so she quickly stood and redressed, wishing that he would take his burning eyes off her. It took a great effort to stop a few tears from flowing, and she silently cursed herself for being so weak in front of her master. Why had she been so stupid? What he wanted was simple; get her to bed, stay with her until he was satisfied, then kick her out. She had been a fool to think that something more than that could possibly happen between them. She hurriedly zipped her dress and put on her leather boots, and straightened up to face him when she was done. His eyes were cold and were looking at her angrily, as if blaming her for something. But why? What had she done? Had she done anything wrong? Had she displeased him?

She stood there, silent, as if expecting him to say something. "Leave, Bellatrix," he hissed, and now she was sure she felt a tear running down her cheek. A single tear it was, but enough to make her furious at her herself for being so pathetic, especially in front of her lord. She bowed to him and whispered a quick "Goodnight, master". As she headed to the door, she paused, half hoping that he was going to say goodnight too, but she only received a sharp, threatening glare and she realized there was nothing else to do but go.

* * *

><p>Rodolphus Lestrange was a failure. A total failure. That's what he kept telling himself. And, as much as he hated to think of that, he knew it was the truth. He was a failure; he had failed the simplest of tasks and had made Voldemort furious, he had allowed the Dark Lord to bed his wife, and he had done nothing to protect her. He had simply left, leaving her there alone, with <em>him<em>. He had left. He knew he should have stayed, he knew he should have stood up for Bella, and yet, he had acted like a coward. He had crawled back in the safety of his manor, and Merlin knows what Voldemort was doing to his wife.

He took another sip of firewhiskey, directly from the half-emptied bottle, and he realized that the hot liquid was doing nothing to make him feel any better. Well, he knew nothing would possibly make him feel better at the least, but he simply couldn't just sit in the armchair and wait for Bella to return. Only some drink would take away all that pain, he had thought, and yet, he still felt as bad as before, if not even worse. He ran a trembling hand through his messy hair and closed his eyes tightly, trying to repel all the terrifying thoughts that were determined to invade his mind. Images of Bella screaming, trapped in the Dark Lord's arms, filled his head and wouldn't go away, no matter how hard Rodolphus tried. It made him sick, it made him furious, it made him depressed. He had no idea of what he should be thinking now. Maybe he should go back and take Bella from there, bring her back home. Yes, maybe he should. But still, he didn't move from the armchair. He couldn't. _You're a coward_, he told himself. _You're a pathetic coward_.

He opened his eyes, since being in the dark only helped all the disturbing and self-loathing thoughts slip inside his mind much easier. He was trembling again, and not from the pain Voldemort's curses had caused. Yes, that punishment he had deserved, he did not question that. But Bella… Bella had done nothing to deserve this. Nothing. And yet Rodolphus hadn't done a thing to help her. He gazed at the bottle in his left hand and chuckled darkly. Alcohol can calm the soul, he had heard someone say. Yeah, sure. He resisted the urge to throw the bottle against the wall, along with its content, and placed it softly on the small table in front of the armchair. He didn't want to create a mess again. He buried his face in his palms, and he cried. _He cried_.

Tears had not run down Rodolphus's face since he was twelve years old. Because he was strong, and crying was forbidden. It was a display of weakness, and everyone who cried was pathetic, that's what he was taught as a child. But he could not help it now. He cried. He had no idea of how much time had passed since he had found himself in this pitiful position, when he heard the familiar sound of heels tapping against the floor. _Bella_… He immediately stood up, without caring for the path of tears down his face. He stormed out of the living room, following the sound of the footsteps, and he saw her.

"Bella!" he exclaimed, beyond relieved to see that she was alright. He ran towards his wife, extending his arm to her, but she walked away without talking. Not quick enough to hide her tears though. Rodolphus felt his stomach leaping. Why she was crying? What had Voldemort done to her? "Bella, please, wait!" he said desperately and ran behind her. "What happened? Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, blocking her way so that she couldn't go away.

"I'm fine!" she growled and tried to push him away, shocking him with her behavior. "Bella, what happened?" he asked again, fearing for the worst.

"Nothing happened! Go away!" she snapped and more tears flew from her eyes, as she once again tried to push him backwards. He trapped her hands so that she couldn't leave, careful though not to hurt her. "Bella," he started, trying to calm her down. "Bella, please, relax, and tell me what happened. Calm down, Bella, calm down, there's no reason to cry now, you're home, with me," he whispered, and stroked her hair gently with one hand, while holding her still with the other.

"Rodolphus," Bellatrix hissed, "leave me alone". Her threatening tone didn't go unnoticed by her husband, but he wouldn't let her go away. "Bella," he said softly, struggling to keep her in place. "Please, Bella," he now begged, and soon, Bellatrix seemed to calm down. She stood still and Rodolphus removed his strong hold from her, and cupped her teary face with his hands. "Darling, why are you crying? What happened?" he asked, once again attempting to get her to open up. "Nothing happened, Rod," Bella replied, her anger being held back from the sudden fake calmness in her voice. "I am all right."

"Bella," Rodolphus insisted, "you are not alright, but I know you will if you talk to me."

"I don't want to talk," Bellatrix said sharply. "I want to go and take a bath."

Rodolphus sighed. "Okay," he agreed, seeing that there was no way to get Bella to talk. He didn't want to stress her more, and if remaining silent was what she wanted, he should comply with that. "Thank you," Bellatrix said, taking her eyes off him. "Go to bed," she told him, "You're tired. I'll come after I take my bath". Rodolphus nodded, and watched her as she headed to one of the bathrooms' door. There was nothing else to do now.

Half an hour had passed when the master bedroom's door opened and Bellatrix stepped in, wrapped in a snowy white towel. Rodolphus sat up on the bed and smiled. He had to admit that she looked very beautiful in white, even though it was just a towel. She never wore white. Bellatrix's expression was completely emotionless as she came closer and sat on the edge of the bed, her wet hair dripping on the dark green carpet. Rodolphus noticed a small bruise on the back of her neck, but didn't make any comments. She seemed to have calmed down, and he didn't want to upset her. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, after some several long seconds in silence. "Yeah," she whispered as she grabbed her wand to dry her hair. "I'm fine". Rodolphus watched her as she did her hair, wondering what she could be thinking. She seemed lost in her thoughts, barely even knowing that he was there with her. Once she was done, she crawled up in the bed next him, still wrapped in the towel, and her dark eyes met his. Rodolphus thought that perhaps she was trying to decide about something, but he didn't know what. He placed his hand on her cheek, and leaned closer to her.

"Bella," he whispered, "I love you."

She didn't say anything. After what seemed for an eternity, her lips were suddenly on his, pulling him in a slow, tender kiss. He was surprised by the fact that she wanted to kiss after what she had been through, but was beyond happy to respond. Feeling her close to him, feeling her tenderness was all he wanted. He kissed her back gently, as his hand cupped her face softly. He was genuinely surprised that she was kissing him like that. All the kissed they had shared in he past -in the few occasions that she allowed him to kiss her- had been rather rough and wild, despite Rodolphus's attempts to show her that he would much more prefer to be gentle and caring with her. Now, he finally had the chance to express how much he cared about her through that kiss; he wanted the moment to last forever, for he feared that would never happen again. Suddenly, she pressed herself against him, her hands wrapped around his neck, deepening the kiss. He was slightly caught off-guard, but he responded, kissing back more passionately and holding her firmly yet affectionately against his body. He thought that perhaps she needed to be treated tenderly and lovingly after what happened with Voldemort, and he too was willing to give her everything she wanted, he too needed to feel loved. Only a few seconds after, she tossed the towel on the floor and laid back on the bed, pulling Rodolphus on top of her, who undid his nightwear and while he kept kissing her.

* * *

><p>Lord Voldemort sat in his study room, with some books open on the wooden desk in front of him. He wasn't even reading. His gaze was focused on the orange flames inside the fireplace on the other side of the room, and his thoughts were on Bellatrix. Three hours had passed since he had kicked her out, after making love with her. He hadn't wanted to keep her around for any more, for she could understand that he actually enjoyed her company. He admitted that feeling like that around someone what never occurred to him before. Whenever Bella kissed him, her passion and eagerness to please him, to be with him, made him feel something, that he was not ready to deal with. Bellatrix was his servant, not his lover. He didn't want a lover, he didn't need one. He wasn't weak to need someone to depend on. Yes, he could use Bellatrix to satisfy his needs, but there would be nothing more. But why was he regretting having kicked her out like that?<p>

"_Something bothers you, master_?" Nagini's hissing voice echoed around the room as she slithered inside.

"_No_," came the sharp answer from Voldemort, who stroked the snake's head as it crawled up on his shoulders.

"_Oh, and I know exactly what it is_," Nagini hissed in a way that seemed like she was laughing.

"_What are you talking about?_" Voldemort hissed in parseltongue, angry with Nagini's sudden behavior.

"_It's about the female human, am I correct, master_?" the snake asked as it wrapped its body around the Dark Lord's armchair.

"_I don't know what you're talking about,_" he hissed and pushed Nagini's head away.

"_Of course you do_," the snake said with amusement. "_It's about your beloved dark-haired witch, you're thinking of her._"

"_My what_?" Voldemort asked furiously, turning his head so he could look at Nagini, who was now slithering down the armchair.

"_Oh, don't deny it_," she hissed, "_you fancy her! Your beautiful lover-_"

"_Nagini,_" Voldemort spat, "_Bellatrix is my servant, and I only bed her for pure lust, nothing more. She is not my lover, and never will be_."

"_You honestly want me to believe you_?" the snake insisted, knowing that she was threading on thin ice.

"_GET OUT_!" Voldemort snarled, and the snake quickly moved towards the door.

"_You can't fool me, master_," she hissed before leaving. "_After all, I know you best than anyone_."

"OUT!"

Once he was once again alone in the room, Voldemort threw the books back in the huge bookcase and stood up. He needed to distract himself from his previous conversation with Nagini, and he couldn't think of anything than taking all his anger out on helpless victims. Yes, a visit to a muggle village could be quite distracting…

* * *

><p>Bellatrix woke up the next morning with a headache. She stretched her limbs and carefully removed Rodolphus's arms from around her body, before standing up and taking in her reflection at the mirror hanging on one wall. What on earth had she done? Sleeping with Rodolphus wasn't in her plans, and yet she had done so. Maybe it was the need to feel that somebody cared for her, that somebody wanted to be loving and tender with her, after the events with the Dark Lord. She sighed as she remembered how he had told her to leave him alone, but she quickly blocked the thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to think of that. She gazed at her husband's sleeping form on the bed. He looked so peaceful, so calm… She found it to be fairly weird. Oh well, she thought, and silently put on a simple, dark grey dress and left the room, careful not to wake up Rodolphus.<p>

She ordered the house elves to bring her breakfast and she sat on one of the breakfast room's chairs, reading the Daily Prophet, as if trying to make her mind think of something else besides the Dark Lord and her husband. It worked, for a while. But only for a while. Once she started eating some biscuits, she felt a terrible wave of nausea hit her, and she stormed out of the room and went directly to the bathroom, ignoring the shocked looks of the house elves that were now bringing her coffee and milk. Only half an hour later, she was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, sweat dripping from her forehead, her hands clenched on her dress. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be.

* * *

><p>A.NHey! As you can see, I finished the seventh chapter! I don't know if I'm entirely satisfied with how it turned out, but I'm already excited to write the next one… I hoped you liked it :) I want once again to thank everyone who supports me with this by adding the story to their alerts and favorites, and many special thanks to those who take the time and leave a review with their thoughts! It really means a lot to me… Next chapter coming soon! :)


	8. Have to know for sure

_A man loves a woman, but the woman loves another man. What can the first one do? He can live an illusion, where he is perfectly happy with his beloved, or he can accept the fact that the game is lost. But only a few go with the second option._

_~Shawn Michaels_

* * *

><p>Bellatrix stood in front of the mirror, thinking. She knew she should remain calm and think rationally, but it really was difficult. She took a quick glance around the bathroom, as if fearing that someone could be watching her, and then her eyes returned on her reflection in the large mirror with the silver, sculptured edges. It had taken a great deal of effort to reach the mental state she was in now, and she didn't want to start panicking again. No, she should remain calm; getting upset wouldn't help, this she knew. As she kept looking inside the mirror, her eyes unconsciously dropped to the reflection of her stomach, searching for a bump. <em>Don't be ridiculous<em>, she thought, _of course there's not a bump yet_. Her hand traveled to her stomach and she took a deep breath. _What am I going to do_?

But what if she was not pregnant after all? What if she had just gotten a cold or something? After all, she wasn't even sure that what had happened to her only a few minutes ago was morning sickness. It could easily have been caused by some food that she had eaten. Bellatrix couldn't bear being unaware of what was happening to her, so she decided to test it. Yet, she didn't know how, and she was even afraid to do it. She was afraid to face the truth. She didn't want to be pregnant. Having a child had never been in Bellatrix's plans, much to her mother's displeasure and Rodolphus's disappointment, but she had made clear the fact that she did not want to become a mother ever since she had joined the Dark Lord's ranks. Therefore, she always took a contraception potion after sleeping with Rodolphus. But during the last couple of days, so much had happened that she hadn't bothered with taking it, thus the chances of getting pregnant weren't facing any difficulties at the matter.

She knew she should test it, to be sure, but she had no idea how. A thin voice in the back of her head kept telling her she should tell someone, and yet she didn't want to. Who could she talk to about something like this? Surely not Rodolphus, since the likelihood of the baby being his were very small, despite having slept with her last night. Of course, she couldn't tell the Dark Lord either. She was terrified of what he could do if he found out and didn't want the baby, and Bellatrix was most certain that being a father wasn't in his interests. She was sunk deeply into desperation when she remembered of her sister. Of course, Narcissa could help, and Bellatrix was sure that she wouldn't scold her or argue with her about something like that. Yes, talking to Narcissa was what she ought to do.

She quickly went out of the bathroom and down to the first floor. She noticed that, apart from the house elves that were gathered in the kitchen, the manor was silent and empty, a sign that Rodolphus was sleeping, which was much helpful to her. She summoned a quill of paper and hurriedly wrote a small note to her husband, telling him that she was going out with her sister and that he shouldn't worry, then folded it and placed it on the small table of the living room, where he was sure to find it. She put on a leather coat and quietly left the house, with her wand at hand, ready to disapparate to the Malfoy manor.

Once she was there, she passed through the gates, reached the huge main door and knocked slightly, wishing that Lucius Malfoy wasn't inside. The last thing she wanted right now was a confrontation with her rival. After a few moments passed, the doors opened and a tiny house elf appeared. It bowed low to Bellatrix after recognizing her, and stepped aside so she could come in. "Madame Lestrange," it squeaked, "what a pleasurable honour". Bellatrix walked inside the manor and found herself in the hall, where no one was to be seen. "Is your mistress here?" she asked the house elf, who bowed its head again and answered "Yes, mistress Malfoy is at the living room, does Madame Lestrange want Elly to announce her to mistress?"

"No, Elly, I'll go by myself" Bellatrix answered coolly, and then turned to the house elf again. "Is your master here, as well?" she required to know, wishing that she would receive a negative answer.

"No, Madame, master Malfoy left the house early in the morning," Elly answered in a high-pitched voice.

Bellatrix nodded, relieved that her sister's husband was not there, and walked to the living room, where she had been informed Narcissa was. Indeed, she found her there, sitting on one of the sofa's, with some papers of different colors and shapes unfolded around her. "Bella!" she exclaimed as she saw her sister, and stood up, pushing the papers aside, to go and hug her. "How are you?" she asked, happy to see Bellatrix after a long time.

"Fine," Bellatrix lied, and her eyes fell on the many papers on the sofa and coffee table. "What are those?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, I'm trying to decide about the invitations for our annual garden party," Narcissa replied, making Bellatrix chuckle. It was somehow fascinating to her, seeing her baby sister being so overly interested in things like that. "But the garden party is in almost one month from now," she said with a smile, and Narcissa rolled her eyes. "Well, yes, but everything has to be perfect. It's the second time I am apart of the preparations, and I want to make everything fantastic," she replied, and Bellatrix grinned. Her sister had only been married to Lucius Malfoy for two years, and she had always been excited to go to the Malfoy's annual garden party. Now, that she was organizing it, she seemed beyond simply excited.

"So," Narcissa commented, as the two sisters sat down on the couches. "What brings you here? I haven't seen you in ages!"

Bellatrix sighed, knowing that they had reached the point. She knew she had to tell Narcissa, but something held her back. "Umm, Cissy," she started, unaware of what exactly to say next. "Look, I…I need your help," she said hesitantly, observing the look on her sister's face. Narcissa nodded, "Sure, whatever you want," she said with a smile, making Bellatrix feel a little more comfortable. "What can I do?"

"Look, Cissy…" Bellatrix said, "I…I have a problem."

Narcissa frowned. "Problem?" she asked, worried. "What problem?"

"Look, I think… I think I'm pregnant," Bellatrix finally said, and then looked at Narcissa, half expecting her to stand up and start yelling. Instead, she was shocked to see her eyes lighten up and a huge smile spread across her face. "Oh, Bella, that's wonderful!" she exclaimed, and stood up, as if going to hug her sister. "You and Rodolphus must be so happy, oh, that's so great! You're going to be a mom!" she smiled, over-excited to hear the news. Bellatrix didn't know how to react to her sister's behavior, so she simply decided to state the facts and tell her the truth. "Cissy, I said I _think_ I'm pregnant," she clarified, yet the smile never left Narcissa's face. "Then, the only thing we have to do is to check!" she exclaimed, and pulled Bellatrix up by the sleeve. "Come," she said, "there is a shop in Knockturn Alley, where we can find a pregnancy test."

"Narcissa, hold on!" Bellatrix snapped, a little more harshly than she had intended, causing her sister's smile to disappear. "Bella, what's wrong?" she asked, sensing that something wasn't going well.

"Look, Cissy, there's something I want to tell you. Please, don't get all mad at me, because you're the only one I can rely on about this," Bellatrix said sincerely, and sat down on the couch, beckoning her sister to do the same.

"Okay," Narcissa said worriedly, "tell me. I promise I won't get mad at you," she added, her expression showing that she was trying to figure out what Bellatrix wanted to tell her.

"Cissy, I… I don't know for sure who the father is, _if_ I am pregnant, which I don't know, either," Bellatrix confessed, waiting for her sister's response to her words.

"Oh," Narcissa only said, her face suddenly serious. "So… there is a chance that Rodolphus is not the father?" she asked, trying to remain as calm as possible.

Bellatrix nodded. "And I think that chance is much more significant," she commented.

"So, who else can it be?" Narcissa asked. "Come on, Bella," she said, once she saw Bellatrix was not willing to tell her, "you may have cheated on Rodolphus, but you're my sister, and I promise I will help you out, whoever the father might be. Except if it's a mudblood or muggle, of course," she added with a smirk, as if trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Bellatrix chuckled bitterly, and then looked at her sister. She decided to tell her the truth, since she knew there was nothing else to do. "Narcissa, there is a fairly high likelihood that the father is the Dark Lord," she said flatly, trying to hide the fear she felt while saying these words. She saw Narcissa gasp, and wasn't surprised to hear the next question. "But… The Dark Lord… And you…?"

She nodded. "But how?" Narcissa asked, obviously not believing what she had just heard. "I don't want to talk about this now," Bellatrix stated simply, and then asked again; "So, are we going to get that test or what? I need to know before panicking."

Narcissa nodded, and stood up, her expression still puzzled and fearful. "What will you do if…?" she was unable to finish the sentence, but Bellatrix shook her head dismissively. "I don't even know if I really am pregnant yet," she said sharply, and Narcissa nodded, doubt obvious on her face. "Yes, we should find out first," she agreed.

* * *

><p>Rodolphus yawned as he opened his eyes. He sat up sleepily and turned around with a smile on his face, expecting to see Bella sleeping peacefully next to him. He was shocked to see that once again he was alone on the bed, even after the events of last night. He frowned, but he soon forced himself to ease down. Obviously she had woken up earlier, as she always did, and had gone downstairs to have breakfast. There was nothing to worry about. Relieved with that thought, he stood up and quickly dressed, then went to the breakfast room, looking for Bella. He frowned again when he did not find her there, so he summoned a house elf to find out where his wife was. "Kati," he said once the house elf arrived and bowed low before him, "have you seen your mistress?" he asked. He was told that mistress Lestrange had left a note on the coffee-table before leaving the manor, and he ran to the living room, anxious to read it.<p>

_Rodolphus_, he read, _I woke up early and remembered that I had promised Narcissa to go shopping with her today. She is my younger sister, after all, and I rarely spend time with her lately, so forgive me for not staying for breakfast with you. I believe I'll be back home before lunchtime. Bella_.

He calmed down as he finished reading the note, knowing that she was safe and probably having a good time, and decided to have some breakfast and then sit around and wait for her to return, when he felt a stinging pain on his left forearm. He hissed out as he grabbed his forearm with his right hand, realizing that the Dark Lord was calling him. What did he want? After all he had done to him and Bella, he was now summoning him? Rodolphus now feared that perhaps Bella had lied to him, that maybe she had once again been called by Voldemort and was now there with him, Merlin knows doing what, and their master wanted him to go there as well. Rodolphus knew that he did not have any choice but do as he was ordered, so he grabbed his wand to apparate to the Dark Lord's manor, wishing that Bella wasn't there. He didn't care about his own safety; he just wished that Bella was alright.

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><p>A.N Wow, I really hadn't had in mind that I would update so quickly! Usually it takes me a few days, so I'm actually surprised with myself… XD Well, I suppose it's because I had no school today… Oh well, I hope you liked the new chapter, although I'm once again not entirely satisfied with the result. I don't know why, I honestly have no idea, but for some reason, I don't entirely like it. Maybe I'll re-write it, maybe I won't. Nobody knows. Once again, I want to thank everyone who reads this story, and everyone who adds it to their favorites/alerts! :) I love you guys :) And I love even more everyone who reviews :) It's wonderful to have some feedback and know what people think of your story! I'll update as soon as I can!


	9. Uncertainity

_You refuse to see, you're denying me_

_I keep wondering why_  
><em>I'm still calling your name through my tears<em>  
><em>Why have you waited to embrace me, my dear?<em>  
><em>Cold is your silence, denying what is real…<em>

_~Within Temptation, "The Cross"_

* * *

><p>Bellatrix sat at the edge of the four-poster bed in the Malfoy Manor's guest room, her eyes staring blankly at the luxurious tapestry on one of the walls, her lips slightly parted, her mind being a complete mess of different thoughts that danced inside her head as if guided by an untamed wind. She couldn't believe it. It really couldn't be. She couldn't be pregnant. It was against all her plans, against everything she had chosen for her life… Since her early days at the Dark Lord's side she had decided that she wanted no children, ignoring Rodolphus's complaints and pleads for an heir and her mother's disgust and constant scolds. She had ignored them all, because she had wanted to devote her life in fighting for her master, and raising children was a huge obstacle to that. She hadn't intended to stay home, surrounded by babies, while the other Deatheaters were fighting for lord Voldemort's cause, she never wanted this. And yet, now her whole world was about to change, because of the thing that was inside her. <em>It's not a thing, it's your baby<em>, a tiny voice in the back of her head screamed, but she pushed it away. She didn't want this, for her it was not _her baby_, it was a thing that had absolutely no reason to be there.

She had no idea of who the father was. As she considered the possibilities, she realized each one of them scared her, none of them was pleasant or promising for a good future as a mother. If Rodolphus was the father, which she suspected wasn't that significant a likelihood, since she had only slept with him once before she found out about her pregnancy, then things wouldn't turn out pretty well for her. At least, they wouldn't turn out the way she wanted them too. She was afraid that Rodolphus would get all too excited if he was to have a child, an heir to carry the Lestrange name, and she did not want something like that to happen. She knew that, if her husband found out they were going to become parents, perhaps he would suddenly become all to loving and caring, maybe even more annoyingly than he already was, and of course, there would be no way to get rid of the baby, unless she made it look like an accident. And the alternate of doing something like that definitely wasn't appealing to her. But on the other hand, as well, spending the rest of her life as a dutiful wife and mother next to her husband was even more a repelling possibility for a future.

There were a lot more chances, she knew, that the father would be the Dark Lord. When she first made love with him –she knew that was not the exact term, but she could not bring herself to think of it as a meaningless way to relieve her master's stress and anger- she hadn't thought of the possibilities to get pregnant. Her mind was too full of the bliss she had brought herself in after sleeping with him to think of any chances like that. The thought had not crossed her mind, until the day she had felt sick while eating breakfast. She didn't even want to admit it, but she wanted to be sincere with herself. She knew that if the Dark Lord was really the father of the new life growing inside her, things would probably be much, much worse than if the baby was Rodolphus's. In the end, what she was going to lose by being a mother to her husband's child was her place in the battlefields for some period of time, but if lord Voldemort found out that she was pregnant to his child, then she knew things would not turn out good, at least not for her, and the baby. She knew he wanted no children, he wanted no heirs. Why would he? Bellatrix was well aware of the fact that her lord had expanded levels of magic beyond every other mortal creature like her, and she knew, or maybe even suspected, that he most definitely did not intend to die to leave an empire to a faithful son or daughter. And even if he did die someday, there would never be another one to be who he once was, not even his own child. No one would even be him, and therefore there was absolutely no meaning in producing an heir. But what would he do if he found out that Bellatrix was pregnant to his child? Maybe he would want to kill the baby, for he could see it even as a possible threat, and that would be Bella's death, as well. He would kill both her and the baby, or he would punish her for being so careless.

She tried to put her thoughts in an order, struggling to ease the sudden headache she felt. Fro once, she tried to think rationally, repeating to herself that it was not her fault, and therefore wouldn't get punished if it was the Dark Lord's child in the end. It was not her fault, how could she have predicted? _Of course it's your fault_, the voice returned, _you did not bother to take any potions after, and here are the results! Are you blaming him now? _Bellatrix shook her head. No, no, of course it was not her master's fault. It was entirely her responsibility, she was the one who had been careless, she should have taken her potion, the Dark Lord had noting to do with her foolishness. It was entirely her fault, and she should do something about it. But she still did not know who the father was.

Snapping her out of her thoughts, the door of the guest room opened suddenly and a wide-eyed Narcissa stormed in, walking quickly towards Bellatrix. She sat on the bed next to her sister and tried to take her hand in hers, as a means of comforting her, but Bellatrix pulled her own hand away. She kept her gaze locked on the brown carpet beneath her feet, biting her lower lip in an attempt to hold some tears from falling. She had no idea of why she was about to cry, but she should not let herself succumb in such weakness for a second time in a couple of days.

"Bella?" Narcissa's hesitant voice came from next to her. "What are the results?"

"It's…It's positive," Bellatrix murmured, desperately wanting to believe that it was not the truth. "I'm pregnant."

"Oh Bella…" Narcissa whispered, and Bellatrix felt her sister's small, fragile arm wrap almost protectively around her shoulders. This time, she did not make any move to avoid the contact, for she needed some comfort at the moment. "Hey, don't be like that," she hear Cissa's soft voice close to her face, and she knew her sister was now smiling, "this is happy news!"

"But I don't want it," Bellatrix whispered weakly, unable to stop a tear from falling.

"But why?" Narcissa asked, seeming determined to make her sister smile. "A baby is joy, Bella! You shouldn't be sad about something as wonderful as motherhood!"

Bellatrix didn't reply, but she knew Narcissa wouldn't give up too easily. But she wouldn't either. She did not want to become a mother, and Narcissa was not going to change that. In fact, it was not that she did not want the baby, even though she had never planned to be a mother in first place, but it was the future that scared her; what would happen if the Dark Lord was the father.

"Cissy," she muttered, turning her head around so she could look straight into her sister's eyes, "I don't want to be a mother, but it's not that… Not _only_ that," she added bitterly.

"You still don't know who the father is?" Narcissa asked, now understanding her concerns and fears. Bellatrix shook her head slightly, not wanting to say anything else. "There is a way to know," Narcissa started hesitantly, and soon gathered courage as she saw Bella's face light up a little, "but you must need at least one of the possible fathers' contribution, let's say," she said, and immediately the faint smile on Bellatrix's face disappeared.

"I can't tell them!" she snarled. "Can you imagine what will happen if they-"

"As I said, only one's contribution is enough. You can simply tell Rodolphus, I believe things will be much easier with him."

"But I can't just go and tell him that I don't know who the father f my baby is, so I want his help to find out!" Bellatrix growled in frustration.

"Wait, Bella," Narcissa said in a sudden, "Rodolphus doesn't know about you and the Dark Lord, right?"

Bellatrix didn't say anything. What could she tell? She was definitely not going to tell her sister about what had happened between her and the Dark Lord and why it had happened, and of course Narcissa didn't have to find out about her encounter with her lord in front of her husband. But she could only tell a part of the truth. "He knows," she stated simply, and shook her head defiantly as she saw Narcissa was ready to ask a next question. "Don't ask how," she said sharply, "he just knows."

Narcissa sighed, but decided not to press it. "If he knows," was the only thing she said, "then it will be much easier to tell him, and ask for his help."

Bellatrix considered her options for a second. She had no other choice; she had to find out who the father was, and the only way was to convince either Rodolphus or her master to help her. She knew she had no chances with her lord, not that she was intending to tell him, anyway, so the option she had left was her husband. Perhaps he would get mad at her, but only for a while, since the likelihood of becoming a father would be much pleasant to him, and therefore would want to know if the life that was growing inside of Bella was from him. Yes, Rodolphus would surely help; all she had to do was to once again be a brilliant actress, or maybe just be herself and tell the truth. She only had to tell him to help her. She did need help, and therefore maybe no lies would be needed. But, just when she was going to open her mouth to tell Narcissa about her decision, she felt a sharp pain in her left forearm, and immediately everything was forgotten. Her master was calling for her, and everything else could wait.

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><p>A.N Heeeey :) I've updated! *bows to the applause from the excited audience*

I'm sorry this chapter is too short, it was originally much, much longer, but I decided to split the original chapter in two, so, here you go! (Next one will be longer, I promise!)

I also promise there will be Voldemort/Bella in the next one ;)

Once again, I want to thank everyone who supports me with this! Special thanks to those who have added this to their favs/alerts, and many, many, many, many, extra special thanks to all the reviewers! I love you guys :)

Also also, another special thanks to BeaFonesxx, whose messgaes literally make my day and help me so much :) Despite the fact that she threatens to murder me if I make the baby to be Rodolphus's.

Anyways, I hope you liked the new update, and I'll be back with a new one very soon, I promise (I have a clear next four days! Yay!)

xxx


	10. Display

_I dance on a wire  
>I don't want to fail her<em>

_She's lost in the darkness_

_Fading away  
>I'm still around here<br>Screaming her name_

_She's haunting my dreamworld_

_Trying to survive_

_My heart is frozen_

_I'm losing my mind_

_I'm trying to reach her  
>I feel that she yearns<em>

_~Within Temptation, "Lost"_

* * *

><p>Bellatrix hurriedly ran up the staircase, knowing that her lord was waiting in his study room, anxious to be there on time. She knew she was late –perhaps not that much, but most definitely later than usual- , but it had taken a great deal of time and effort to convince Narcissa that she would be fine and that she should let her go to her master. She couldn't blame her; if Bella found out that her sister was pregnant, and there were possibilities that the baby was the Dark Lord's, probably she would have panicked and tried to keep Narcissa at the safety of her home, away from every possible danger. Bellatrix was actually surprised that Narcissa had acted so calmly throughout the whole pregnancy thing, and she was most thankful for that. But now, now she should clear her mind from any thoughts regarding the baby, the pregnancy test and all the incidents that had taken place before her arrival at the Dark Lord's manor, for her own good. The very last thing she wanted was lord Voldemort to find out that she was pregnant; thankfully, since it was merely a few weeks since she had first found out that she was pregnant, after feeling sick in her bathroom, back at her manor, there was no danger for her secret to be revealed, since there was clearly not a baby bump yet. All she had to do was keep her mind closed and focus on other things.<p>

When she pushed the large wooden door open, expecting to see her master sitting behind his desk, as usual, she froze at the sight of her husband writhing in agony on the floor, screaming silently, his hands grasping helplessly on the thick carpet underneath him. She took her eyes away from his shaking form, only to see lord Voldemort standing next to the abnormally large bookcase, pointing his wand lazily at the writhing Rodolphus, a cruel expression spread across his face. Once he noticed Bellatrix, he lowered his wand, causing Rodolphus's torture to temporarily cease, focusing his eyes on her. "Bella, you finally decided to honour us with your presence," he acknowledged in a hissing voice, twisting his wand between his long, pale fingers.

"My lord," Bellatrix whispered in a barely audible voice, "please forgive my being late, I-"

"Enough, Bella," Voldemort hissed, silencing her, and shortly after he turned his attention back to Rodolphus, who was struggling to get on his knees, desperately trying to gather what dignity he had left. Bellatrix hovered, wondering why on earth her husband was there, and what could he possibly have done to be getting tortured again. She didn't bother to feel sorry for him, but standing there, watching him like this, definitely wasn't the most pleasant thing she could be doing. As if reading her mind, the Dark Lord turned to her direction and smirked slightly. "Trying to figure out why your precious husband is getting punished, are you, Bella?" he asked, ignoring Rodolphus's small groans of pain from the corner of the study room. Bellatrix didn't reply, knowing that, if she didn't want the Dark Lord to realize anything about her current state, what she had to do was remain silent, no matter what, if she didn't want to blow the truth about the pregnancy up. This wasn't too hard, after all; after the night her lord had kicked her out of his manor, she wasn't sure about how to behave around him, and, thus, she thought silence and obedience was what he preferred as well.

"Bella, I asked you something," Voldemort hissed, taking a few steps closer to her. Bellatrix nodded while keeping her eyes lowered to the floor, since she wasn't sure about how he was going to react today. "Do you want to know?" he repeated, his hissing voice making Bellatrix shiver. "Yes, master," she replied quietly, before turning her gaze to the shattered Rodolphus who was now once again on his back on the carpet, trying to catch his breath after his previous punishment.

"Do you know how disrespectful you husband has been today?" Voldemort asked her softly, his wand pointing threateningly once again at Rodolphus's figure, "Do you know what he told me, when he arrived here after I had summoned him?"

"What, my lord?" Bellatrix questioned, now unable to hide the curiosity that had started to build up in her, already feeling angry at her husband who kept infuriating their master over the last weeks. She wanted to know what Rodolphus had done to once again anger the Dark Lord.

"He told me, Bella, that I shouldn't _dare_ touch you again, _my dear_, because he is your _husband_, and I have absolutely no right on you, and therefore should stay away from you," Voldemort replied with an amusement smirk on his face, now measuring Rodolphus's reaction to his words. Bellatrix immediately turned her head to look at him, somehow thinking that all this was a joke. How dared he? How dared he insult the Dark Lord like that? He, he was nothing in front of her master, and yet… She abruptly came back to reality as she reminded herself that she was supposed to be supporting her husband through all _this_, and she mentally screamed to herself to stop before throwing any insult she could think of to her husband.

"You don't believe me, do you, Bella?" Voldemort chuckled darkly, and turned to the whimpering Rodolphus. "Rodolphus, why don't you reassure your wife?"

"I did!" Rodolphus managed to spit, despite the agonizing pain he was obviously in, struggling to somehow sit up so he was not lying pathetically on the floor. This shocked Bellatrix, who didn't know what to do, but stand there, waiting for the Dark Lord to say something to her disrespectful husband. However, the one who spoke next was not her lord, but Rodolphus. "She is _my_ wife, mine!" he said angrily, making Bella freeze where she was standing, her eyes opened wide in shock. What was he saying? Any objection to the Dark Lord was a downright insult to him, but he, he wasn't simply standing up for himself; he was insulting their master, and claiming Bella as his own, as if she was his pet! This time she couldn't stop herself, she opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Rodolphus, who seemed to have even more to say. "You won't touch her!" he growled , mustering all the strength he had left, daring to look straight into Voldemort's eyes, who, to Bella's surprise, didn't look upset at all. On the contrary, he seemed rather amused, his cruel smirk never leaving his face, patiently waiting for Rodolphus to finish "standing up for Bella".

Bellatrix, fed up with what was unfolding in front of her, turned to her master, silently begging him to say something, but, before anything else could happen, she was suddenly slammed against one wall, her head banging against it with a loud thump. Everything happened too quickly; she didn't have time to even feel the pain from her collision with the wall, she only heard Rodolphus gasp as a muffled groan escaped her lips, but was soon silenced as Voldemort's lips crashed on hers. She wasn't expecting that, so her reactions were triggered automatically; her hands instantly flew to hit him as if they were not guided by her, but he easily caught them and trapped them against the wall, not allowing Bellatrix to move. His tongue penetrated her lips, pulling her in a rough, demanding kiss, before she could realize what was going on. Everything seemed like it was happening miles away, like she was simply watching all of this, but she soon felt the pain exploding in the back of her head, caused by her crashing against the wall. She didn't mind though, for she was focused on what was going on at the moment. A muffled moan escaped her lips as Voldemort kept kissing her, and she heard Rodolphus yell something, but she soon realized that her husband could not move, for he obviously couldn't grab his wand to do anything to pull them apart. She felt her hands being released, so she immediately wrapped them around her lord, without caring about Rodolphus, without caring about anyone but her master. Voldemort loosened her leather corset, ignoring Rodolphus's yells and threats, and threw it on the floor, then occupied his hands with undoing her dress as well, while he kept kissing her violently.

Bellatrix, in a sudden moment, remembered her husband's presence, and her eyes snapped open as she felt her dress getting ripped open. She wanted this, she wanted her master, but not in front of Rodolphus. She wanted to be alone with the Dark Lord, and she felt extremely uncomfortable with her husband _watching_. She tried to push Voldemort away slightly, struggling to make him realize that she wanted to tell Rodolphus to leave, but he didn't seem to care. His lips broke apart from hers and travelled lower to her jaw line and neck, kissing roughly, and this time she could not stop the soft moan that escaped her lips as he did so. Bellatrix felt her dress drop on the floor in a pool around her feet, and she realized she was only in her underwear, kissing with the Dark Lord, in the presence of a shocked, desperate Rodolphus. She was caught between pleasure and awkwardness, and she couldn't bring herself to decide if she should let herself enjoy it or resist.

After a few seconds, Voldemort let go of her hold on her, causing her to fall on her knees because of the sudden lack of support, as previously she was being held against the wall by him. Voldemort grabbed her by her wrists and pulled her up on her feet, and she did not resist as he did so, ignoring her husband's renewed threats and yells. As soon as she regained control of herself and was able to stand properly, he let go of her and ordered her to take her dress, go to his bedroom and wait for him. Bellatrix turned around to Rodolphus, whose eyes were wet and wide open, trying to keep her face from revealing her excitement. Now, everything was temporarily forgotten; her husband, her pregnancy, everything. "Bella, don't go!" Rodolphus pleaded, laying still on the floor, unable to move, probably because of the spell Voldemort had casted on him after torturing him. She turned to her master, who was now glaring at Rodolphus. "Bellatrix, do as you're told," he ordered coolly, and Bellatrix nodded, eager to leave the study room and get to be alone with him. "I'll be there in a few minutes," he added.

The last thing Bellatrix heard as she left the room was her husband's cries of pain, as he was once again under the cruciatus curse. "He deserves it," she muttered angrily, as she practically ran to her master's bedroom.

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><p>A.N I updated! *receives excited applause and bows*

Well, I don't like this chapter. For some reason, I don't. But I like the part where poor Rodolphus gets all embarrassed. And I like Bella/Voldy moments, so, there will be more Bellamort along the way, hopefully. But, I feel that Rodolphus just doesn't get embarrassed enough, so I'm planning on a chapter where poor Rod will regret the day he was born. Spoiler pretty much? Oh well… XD I don't know, maybe I'm a sadist. Who knows?

Anyway, I hoped you liked it, I'll try to update as soon as I can! Reviews are love!

xxx


	11. Unwanted

_Well, meet me mother and father, meet me down the river road _  
><em>And momma you know that I'll be there when I check in my load...<em>

_~Johnny Cash, "Ain't no Grave"_

* * *

><p>"My lord, what did you do to Rodolphus?" Bellatrix questioned in all of a sudden, while she lay comfortable in the Dark Lord's arms. His hand was stroking her hair, in a gesture of uncharacteristic tenderness, and, despite the fact that Bellatrix wanted anything but this to end, she couldn't suppress her curiosity. To her great surprise, Voldemort didn't stop his hand's gentle movements on her black curls. On the contrary, he pulled her tightly against him, his hold around her suddenly becoming more possessive, which Bellatrix greeted with enthusiasm. She leaned her head against his bare chest and closed her eyes, wanting the moment to last forever.<p>

"My Bella," he hissed softly, "I did exactly what he deserved."

Bellatrix didn't have to press her mind to realize that Rodolphus would probably be in a big lot of pain for quite a while; after all, that's what you get when you disrespect the Dark Lord like that. She was well aware of the fact that Rodolphus had now probably become one of the Deatheaters lowest members due to his behavior and attitude towards Voldemort, not to think of his failing at the easiest of tasks, Merlin knows why. She knew that perhaps her husband wasn't yet done with the Dark Lord's fury, even though she was well aware of the fact that he had hurt in more ways than one, since it was not only the physical torture he had endured, but also the emotional, as he had been forced to watch Voldemort do all these things to his wife.

Perhaps, Bellatrix thought, she should feel sorry for her husband, perhaps she should be there for him, perhaps she should fell hurt as well when seeing him like that, but she really couldn't bring herself to care. Her moments with her lord were too precious and enjoyable for her to even think of leaving him to be Rodolphus's loving and dutiful wife.

She sat up so she could look at her master's face, for she loved gazing at those powerful, burning eyes of his, she loved every moment that he allowed her to be so close to him. She saw him smile a little, but only a little, so that perhaps it could have been only in her imagination, before he leaned over and kissed her, a lot more tenderly and gently than he had ever had before. Pleasantly surprised by his actions, she kissed him back, allowing her hands to wrap around his neck, as if wanting to show him how much this meant to her. She tried to keep any thoughts from invading her mind as she wanted to allow herself to get lost in her passion once more, but, for some reason, this time she found it to be a lot harder. Images of Rodolphus's shocked and hurt face wouldn't leave her mind, even though she actually didn't care that much about him. And, along with Rodolphus, came all the thoughts she had so desperately repelled from her mind considering her unwanted pregnancy.

"Bella, what are you thinking of?" Voldemort suddenly asked her after breaking the kiss, and Bella felt the hair in the back of her neck stand on edge at how cold his voice was. Had he understood that something had changed in her mind? Of course he had, he is the Dark Lord, and she had been careless enough to let these thoughts slip inside her head once again. Clearly, he couldn't know what she was had been thinking of exactly, since he hadn't directly confronted her, but had demanded to learn what was it that was in her mind. Yet, she thought as she tried to keep her thoughts in order, he could know, but wants me to tell him first.

No, she couldn't risk it. Perhaps he didn't know, and she could possibly alter the truth slightly, by not telling him about the baby. He shouldn't find out, this she had decided days ago. There was no way she would tell him, she couldn't she was afraid of disappointing him and of what would be the consequences.

Luckily for her, Voldemort seemed to believe that it had to do with her husband in first place. "Are you thinking about Rodolphus?" he asked coldly, pulling away from her slightly. She didn't know what to say. Obviously she wouldn't get out of this simply by trying to mislead him, that never worked with him and, in addition, she didn't even want to try to. Maybe she could just tell him a part of the truth, without exposing herself and without making him angry again. She didn't want to be kicked out once again, all she needed was to stay there with him, and everything would be ruined if she angered him. She couldn't disappoint him, she wouldn't.

"My lord, I was simply thinking that he deserves the punishment he got, for his disrespe-"

"Bella, are you hiding something from me?" the Dark Lord asked sharply, placing his hands firmly on her shoulders and pulling her closer, so he was now looking straight into her eyes. She couldn't avoid his intimidating gaze, his eyes seemed like they were searching through the very depths of her soul, and it took all of her willpower to keep her mind closed to him and try to empty it from any thoughts that would give her away.

"No, master, of course not, why would I hide something from you?" she questioned, struggling to keep her voice even and calm, for she hated lying to him with all her heart. She had always loathed keeping secrets from her master, and therefore never did, because she knew he had the right to know everything, and she had never had secrets that he shouldn't find out. Yet, here she was, trying to convince him that she indeed did not keep anything from him, despite the fact she knew he wouldn't be able to lie to him for any longer if he kept staring at her like that.

"Bella, I was under the impression that you, as my most devoted, wouldn't keep secrets from me, from your master," he whispered coolly. "You… disappoint me, Bella, you really do. I never expected something like that from you," he added, his voice feeling like a slap across the face to Bellatrix. She hated this, she hated lying to him, but she couldn't let him know…

"My lord, I am not keeping any secrets, I am only speaking the truth," she said desperately, turning her gaze elsewhere, wanting to avoid his eyes. He, however, lifted her chin so she was looking back at him once again.

"But you _are_ keeping secrets, _my Bella_," he hissed, his voice now sounding a lot more threatening than Bellatrix had heard it during the whole night. She could clearly see that she was threading on thin ice, refusing to talk to him like that, disappointing him in this way, but she forced herself to keep silent about the pregnancy. He should not find out, she kept repeating to herself, silently, secretly, while struggling to lock away her mind at the same time.

"Master, I… I'm not," she whispered, her voice now sounding like a plead, and she knew that she gave away herself by using that tone in her voice. But she couldn't help it.

"Bellatrix, tell me," he ordered quietly, his tone leaving no room for objections. His use of her full name made Bellatrix realize that there was no possible escape now, tat she had to tell him. She though it could have been just her imagination, but she felt his grip tightening on her arms, as if he was about to rip her apart at any moment. She knew she had to let him know. After all, she thought, trying to somehow encourage herself, maybe things won't be that bad. Who knows, perhaps he'll even want the baby? Even if he didn't, he wouldn't kill her. He wouldn't punish her, he couldn't, she was so devoted to him, she would prove she didn't deserve to get punished for a little brat growing inside of her…

"My lord," she started weakly, trying to find the proper words to say what she had to say without embarrassing herself or upsetting him. "There… There is something you need to know," she stuttered, wishing that she could just leave, go somewhere else, anywhere, she didn't care where as long as she was alone, away from his cold, waiting gaze.

"I am well aware of that, Bella," he commented coldly, "so make it quicker, I don't have endless time to spare with your suddenly acting all weak and cowardly like now."

She gulped ad fought to hold back tears, his words hurting more than any curse he could have thrown at her, but she knew the worst was yet to come. She had to finally say it. "Master, I…" she started, but found herself unable to finish her words. She inhaled awkwardly, trying to find the courage to go on, feeling his burning eyes piercing through her, demanding to receive some explanations soon. "I'm pregnant," she finally confessed, and lowered her gaze on the mattress, waiting for an explosion of anger and a painful round of tortures that was sure to come for having acted so carelessly.

However, this never came. Slowly, hesitantly, she looked up, half expecting to see him smile at her, half hoping that he could be happy at this after all, since he hadn't said anything proving him to be angry at her. Instead, when she looked at him, his face seemed almost emotionless, unreadable as almost all the time, though she could see his eyes glowing with something that seemed like disbelief, like shock, like maybe even fury. She felt her whole body go numb, unable to make a single move. Her brain was as if stopped, she couldn't think of anything to say.

"You're pregnant," he repeated simply, his cold voice never softening, but, luckily, not becoming any angrier, as well.

Relieved that he hadn't punished her, she felt her heartbeats slow down to a more even rhythm, and she thought that perhaps he would embrace this new situation. After all, wasn't he always cold like this? Why would now be an exception, perhaps he did not want to show his feelings…?

Bellatrix nodded, now feeling the fear gradually leaving her, but still nervous to hear his response to the simple, yet so complicated statement.

"You won't be for any longer," he stated finally, his expression never changing.

Bella didn't understand. "My lord, what-"

"Abortion, Bellatrix, have you never heard of it?" Voldemort hissed, making Bellatrix feel like every wall she had built around her at the moment was now falling down. Abortion? So, he wanted her to kill the unborn baby. The idea was a shock to her, not that she wasn't expecting it, anyway. She had considered that option may times since she had found out about her pregnancy, since she originally hadn't wanted the baby, but some long conversations with Narcissa, before she had even taken the pregnancy test, had convinced her to finally keep it, even though she knew it was going to be hard for her. She had come to the conclusion that Rodolphus would be a fairly good father, even if the child wasn't his, and she had decided to raise it with his help, as she would do if she was sure that he was the biological father.

Now, now that she heard her lord telling her that she had to kill the unborn baby, she didn't want to. It was strange, even to her, to want to become a mother and dare defy her master, but she wanted to keep it. Yes, she would be forced to stay out of battles for some time, but she would return, and that wouldn't be much of a problem. She wanted to be a mother; maybe it was the sudden instincts that had risen in her since she had considered a future of motherhood, or maybe it was just that she was beyond honored and excited to be the mother of the one and only child of the Dark Lord, even if he didn't know, even if the child itself never found out. She didn't care, she just wanted to keep it. But her lord didn't.

"Master, please," she pleaded, hearing her voice cracking with desperation she never allowed to herself, but now she could not help it. "Please, I could-"

"No, you couldn't," Voldemort cut her off sharply. "You are going to get rid of this thing, am I clear?"

"My lord, it will be no problem, I will give birth to it and then just-"

"Do not object me, Bellatrix," he hissed threateningly, but she wouldn't stop. She couldn't, not now.

"But it may be yours!" she said desperately, hoping to move him with that, although knowing that she had no chances left. "Please, you couldn't kill your own child!"  
>"I will not, Bellatrix, you will," he said back coldly, and left he bed, picking up his robes to re-dress.<p>

"Why? Why, I am not asking you to get involved in this, it will be entirely my responsibility! Please, master, just let me-"

"Do not talk to me like that, Bellatrix," Voldemort warned in a low voice, now being fully dressed again, with his wand in his right hand.

"I… I am sorry, master," Bellatrix whispered, knowing that she had crossed the line. However, she attempted to once again try to convince him to change his mind, but he cut her off.

"Bellatrix, do you think I want my servant to leave and raise a child, do you think I want you to become weak and useless because of that _thing_? Are you under the impression that I ever wanted any… children?" he spat the last word, as if hating the mention to children and only.

"No, my lord, but I will not-"

"I do not want to hear anything else, Bellatrix," Voldemort hissed, "you will get rid of the fetus, or I will do it myself."

After saying those words, he simply turned around and left, leaving Bellatrix alone on the four-poster bed, covered only in satin black sheets, her previously suppressed tears now rolling freely down her cheeks.

* * *

><p>A.N Hey guys :) I finished the 11th chapter, and, still, I don't know if I am entirely satisfied. Once again, this isn't what I was planning. Oh well… There will be more Bellamort later, just so you know, but still I haven't written anything. There will also be some –or perhaps more than just some- Belladolpus. Yeah, no idea how I came up with that. Anyway, I hoped you liked the new chapter! I want to thank everyone who reads this, and special thanks to those who take the time and leave a review! It means so much to me!

xxx


	12. What I trully want

_Let me breathe a moment of peace_

_This last draught of fresh air_

_I want to dedicate myself only_

_To my dearest feelings…_

_~Eros Ramazzotti, "Un Attimo di pace"_

* * *

><p>Bellatrix didn't know what to do. She must obey to the Dark Lord, this she knew, but something held her back from fulfilling his wishes and simply kill the baby now growing inside her. She had never disobeyed him before in her life, and she had always known she never would. She couldn't object to him; if killing the baby was what he deemed to be right, then that was what she ought to do.<p>

Perhaps, she thought, he was right. After all, he was always right, and he never took decisions without fully knowing the consequences, and he had proven that to her many times in the past.

Bellatrix thought he must have had his reasons for not wanting the baby. Of course, after all, she was the one who had thought of abortion so many times in the past, before she had told her master. And what had changed now? Maternal instincts, perhaps? No, that was stupid.

Bellatrix had no idea why she had suddenly wanted to keep the child, but what she did know was that she should take that absurd idea out of her mind and do what her lord had asked -no, ordered- her to do. She had no choice, after all. But even if she had, she should comply with what the Dark Lord told her, and never object him. She should get rid of the baby, without any further hesitations.

But there was also something else tormenting her, something she desperately wanted to find out. She still didn't know who the father was, and yet she was almost completely positive that it was the Dark Lord, since she had only slept with Rodolphus once, after whole months of being careful not to even touch him every time they lied on their bed. But still, she couldn't be entirely sure.

There was no way to find out, anyway, since she should get rid of the fetus as quickly as possible, is she did not wish to upset her master. However, there was also something else. She didn't know how, but she just knew that the Dark Lord was going to tell Rodolphus, or her husband was going to find out in some other way.

If she wanted to prevent misunderstandings and possible arguments, she had to tell him herself.

* * *

><p>Rodolphus was desperate. It had only been a few hours since he had watched Voldemort remove his wife's clothing and devouring her against the wall, ignoring his cries of protest and shame.<p>

He now didn't know what to believe. He didn't know whether he was doing this to punish him, or his Bella. But he did know that this had to stop, one way or another.

Threatening the Dark Lord had had no results, apart from a well-served round of cruciatus curses, that had made him writhe in agony for over an hour. He still felt as if parts of his body where on fire, and it had taken all of his willpower to stand up and be able to apparate back to his manor. However, he did not mind about the physical pain; the pain in his heart was far, far worse. Once again, he had been unable to protect Bella, and he had left her there, with _him_.

He felt like a failure. He had failed at everything, and there was nothing, no one to reassure him that he hadn't. Now, all he had to do was to wait. Wait for Bella to return home, after Merlin knows what she would have been through. And yet, he could do nothing to help her.

He didn't know how much time had passed since his arrival at home, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped on his seat and his hand flew to grab his wand from the floor, where he had thrown it, before he realized it was his wife. He quickly turned around to look at her, and blinked before standing up to hug her.

"Bella," he whispered as his arms clung protectively around her, and he was slightly surprised to see that she did not stop him; she did not hug him back, either, she simply stood there, allowing him to hold her in his arms, which he did for several long seconds. Once he pulled back a little, he looked into her deep brown eyes, never letting go of her.

"I'm so sorry," he said desperately, "I didn't do anything, I know I should have-"

"Rod, I'm fine," she cut him off and pulled away from him, straightening her dress.

"Are you sure?" he asked, worrying for her, and perhaps in an attempt to make her feel better. "I could make you something to drink, or eat, and-"

"Rod, we need to talk," she cut him off again, and sat down on one couch, motioning him to do the same. He obliged and took a seat next to her, still feeling a stinging pain through his body as he did so, as the after-effects of his previous punishment.

Bellatrix did not seem to notice the grimace of pain that briefly spread across his face, much to her husband's relief. Rodolphus patiently waited until she finally started to talk.

"Look, Rodolphus," she said after talking a long breath, "there's something you need to know."

He nodded, and waited for her to continue. "Bella, you can tell me anything," he told her after realizing that she was hesitating.

"Yes, I… I know," she said sharply, but then her face softened once again. "But first, rod, you have to promise me something."

"Of course, whatever you want," he replied, wondering what she wanted to tell him that she looked so worried about.

"Just… Just promise me that you won't overreact, alright?"

"Alright," he said, frowning.

She took a deep breath. "Rodolphus, I'm pregnant," she said as quickly as she could, and then bit her lower lip, observing his reactions with worried eyes.

Rodolphus needed a few seconds to realize what she had just told him. After he did, he felt a huge smile spreading across his face, and he instantly felt as if all the pain, both physical and mental, disappeared.

He had wanted a child since the day he had married Bella, and the fact that she had never shared his wishes had upset him, but he had been forced to comply, after she had made clear she did not intend to bear him any heirs. But now, now everything had changed, and he could easily be the happiest man alive, despite all the torments he had been through.

"Bella, that's…That's wonderful," he said, his smile never leaving his face. "It is so wonderful, we are going to be-"

"I'm not keeping it."

"What?" the smile now disappeared, and it was replaced by a grimace of confusion and disbelief.

"I am not keeping it," Bellatrix replied sharply, looking at him through her heavy lidded eyes.

"Bella," Rodolphus started, now feeling as if everything had crashed down around him. They had to keep the baby, it was the only thing that could keep them together through all this madness that was their lives, he couldn't let her kill it! "Bella, you can't do this."

"Of course I can. Tomorrow there will be no fetus, and that's final."

"Bella, please, think rationally! You can't-"

"I _am_ thinking rationally, and that's why there is no way I am going to give birth to it!"

"But think how beautiful it will be, how beautiful we will be all together, we will be parents, isn't this wonderful?" he asked her, fully aware of the fact that his voice now sounded more like a plead. "Bella, we will be parents, we-"

"We won't be parents, Rodolphus!"

"Of course we will, and we will be happy with our child, why don't you just give us a chance?"

"It is not yours, Rodolphus, you are not the father!" she snapped, finally fed up with him. She stood up from the couch and glared down at him. "The Dark Lord is, and he doesn't want it, so I am not going to keep it!"

With those words, she turned her back to him and left the room, without saying anything else, leaving him alone.

He could not believe it. Only a few seconds before he was so happy, he thought he was going to be a father and finally get closer to his Bella, and now he knew that the baby wasn't his. It was Voldemort's, and that man had ordered his wife to get rid of her baby. After everything he had done, after doing all of this, he had gotten her pregnant and now he wanted her to kill the child growing inside her.

He stood up and tried to relax. The baby wasn't his, but he could bear with that. What he had to do now was to comfort Bella. He knew she probably would not be broken, for his Bella was always strong, but he couldn't let her go through this alone. He wanted to be by her side, he wanted her to know that he would support her.

He ran up the stairs and headed to their bedroom, where he supposed she would be. Indeed he found her there, sitting on the edge of the bed, and, to his great surprise, crying. Once she saw him, she stopped abruptly, and awkwardly wiped away her tears.

Without wasting any time, he sat down on the bed next to her, and put an arm around her shoulders. She tried to push him away, but he gently stopped her from moving.

"Bella, don't cry," he said softly, and stroked her hair with one hand, looking straight into her teary eyes.

"Rodolphus, you don't-"

"Shh, you don't have to say anything, Bella, you don't have to cry," he whispered softly, caringly, and she soon seemed to calm down and relax in his arms. "Look, Bella, if you don't want the baby, I am not going to stop you from doing what you want," he told her, and it was the total truth.

"But don't you mind that it is not yours? Don't you mind that I… I-"

"No Bella, it's not your fault," he reassured her and smiled at her. "I love you, and I'm not going to lame you for something that is not your fault."

"You really love me?" she asked through her tears, her voice cracking. Being held like that was something somehow new to her. Oh, how she would want the Dark Lord to hold her like that, whisper like that to her, reassure her that he loved her… But she knew the Dark Lord would never, ever do anything like that. Rodolphus, on the contrary, loved her. He really, honestly, loved her. She didn't know how to feel about this, since she did not share those feelings. But she did feel protected, safe right now, with her husband whispering to her like that. She felt that maybe, just maybe, she did care slightly about him, after all. But she wasn't sure.

"Of course, my love," Rodolphus told her softly, and kissed her tenderly on her lips. "I love you more than anything in this world, and I will never let anyone harm you from now on. I love you, Bella," he whispered, and he was telling her everything he had wanted to tell her since the day they had married, but had always thought that she would laugh at him and leave him.

Bellatrix didn't know what to say. She had no idea. And, despite not being sure about what she was saying, she decided she could tell four words. "I love you, too," she whispered back. When he saw him smile, a smile of pure love and happiness across his face, she regretted saying that. She didn't want to lie to him like that, but, perhaps it wasn't entirely a lie. Perhaps she did care about him, but she knew she ha long ago given her heart to someone else, and she knew she could never take it back.

* * *

><p>A.N Yay, I updated! *bows once again*

Wow, I feel I went too lovey-dovey towards the end, but, oh well… I just wanted to write some Belladolpus… I'm once again not entirely satisfied with the outcome, I feel I could have done much more with it, but I'm saving it for the next chapter, that will be much longer, since it will probably be the last one… (I'm not sure yet, but maybe it will be).

Anyways, I hope you guys liked the 12th chapter! Thanks to everyone who reads this, and many many special thanks to everyone who takes the time and leaves a review :)


	13. Order

_I'm in love with a zombie_

_Can't keep his hands off me_

_I think he's looking at me_

_But he's looking right through me…_

_~Natalia Kills, "Zombie"_

* * *

><p>Bellatrix had done what she had to do, what she had been ordered to do. There had been no room for emotion, no room for regret when she had done what her master had told her to do. Emotion was for the weak, remorse was for the light-hearted, objection to her lord's orders was for the disloyal, for the traitors.<p>

She was no weak, she was no disloyal. She would obey her lord, no matter what; she knew he was right, she would never dare disrespect him and question his decisions.

To her great surprise and relief, Rodolphus had raised no objections when she had announced she was going to leave, to go and buy the potion that would kill the fetus. She had been prepared for desperate arguments from his side, even for a fight between her and her husband, but no such thing had happened; Rodolphus had let her go, and she had, without saying anything else to him.

She didn't know how she felt. When she had first found out about her pregnancy, she had been furious, desperate, with little idea of what to do. She had been confused, and almost certain that there was no way she was going to keep it. After some long conversations with Narcissa, though, she had considered the idea of actually accepting the baby and think about a future as a mother.

She could have been happy with a child, she could have had a family of her own. She could have had all that.

And then her master had found out, and his reaction had been exactly what Bella had expected, perhaps even milder. She hadn't wanted to tell him, and she had loathed herself for that, for daring keep secrets from her lord. But she hadn't been able, she had been too afraid of the consequences.

He did not want it, of course, and there was no reason why he would ever desire to have a child. She always obeyed him, always knew that whatever he told and did was the right thing to do, and she had done what he had ordered her to do. No remorse; it was for the light-hearted.

Bella was strong, and she wouldn't let a lost baby make her a weak little crying girl; she was a fierce woman, a warrior, a warrior who fought for her master, and her master wouldn't want her to be weak. She couldn't –she wouldn't disappoint her master.

There was no baby now, and she didn't feel sad. She only felt anxious, anxious about how her lord was going to greet her this time, what he was going to tell her, whether he would be pleased or angry at her. She was sitting on the edge of a huge bed, in his privet chambers, waiting. Waiting for him.

Her eyes were staring blankly at the dark green tapestry, her mind full of thoughts of what she had done and whether it had been the right thing to do. Yes, it was the right thing to do, since her master had told her so.

"Bella," a cold, clear voice acknowledged as a tall, black-hooded figure entered the chambers, wand still at hand.

"My lord," Bellatrix murmured, and quickly left the bed to fall onto her knees before him, without waiting for him to request her to do so. She kept her eyes lowered to the floor, waiting for him to speak first.

"You have waited for long?" Voldemort asked as he removed his black, thick coat, however his voice showing no concern, as if he was merely asking just to say something to her.

"No, my lord."

"You're lying," Voldemort said softly, sending shivers down her spine. "How long have you been waiting for?"

"About forty-five minutes, my lord, but it wasn't that long, I-" Bellatrix hurried to say, fearing that perhaps he would accuse her of impatience, but didn't manage to finish her words.

"Well, I had business to do," the Dark Lord commented, and the tone of his voice let Bella understand that she was not going to find out what kind of business that was. Before she could say anything else, he cut her off again. "Did you do as you were ordered?" he asked her sharply, clearly referring to her short pregnancy.

"Yes, my lord," she whispered, hoping that maybe, just maybe he was going to praise her for obeying, something that he had not done for a long time now.

"Good," was the only thing he said, before taking off his traveling cloak, as well, leaving himself in simple, plain black robes. There was an awkward silence, at least from Bellatrix's part, whose hands nervously clung on the long skirt of her dress.

"Does your husband know?" Voldemort asked, breaking the silence, much to Bellatrix's relief. That kind of question was definitely not one she would prefer to answer at the moment, but she much preferred it to staying silent and awkward in front of him.

"He- He does, my lord."

"And what were his reactions?" the Dark Lord demanded to know, looking down at his servant in a cold, emotionless gaze.

"He… Well, he did not say anything, merely said that if it is your wish for me to… dispose of the fetus, then that is what I should do, master," Bellatrix answered, not wanting to reveal any information about her encounter with her husband regarding the baby, that now did not exist.

Voldemort did not respond, only stood there, watching her as if he was measuring her, before he spoke again. "Rise, Bella, I believe you would find the likelihood to spend the whole night on your knees to be quite unpleasant."

Bellatrix, for a moment, thought she had detected a double meaning behind his words, but chose to ignore it as she found herself blushing slightly at his comment. She quickly obliged and stood on her feet, straightening her back as she did so. Within seconds, he bridged the space between them and now his face was inches away from hers, their lips almost touching.

She felt his cool breath on her face and closed her eyes, once again wanting the moment to last forever. Whatever he put her through, whatever he did, whatever Rodolphus said, she knew that she would never stop wanting him, adoring him more than anything, more than anyone. Every time they were close, like they were now, she allowed herself to forget about everything and everyone, and focus only on him.

Her eyes snapped open again when he felt his cold hand on her cheek, and heard his voice hiss softly next to her ear. "You must _always_ obey me, Bella, always do what I say."

"Yes, my lord," she breathed, eager to feel his lips on hers, unable to think of anything else. Please, she thought, locking gazes with him. She needed to forget about everything she had said to Rodolphus, everything that had happened. She needed him. At long last, their lips met in a slow, yet passionate kiss that got rougher by the second.

"You're mine, Bella, _mine_," he growled as he pulled away, before his mouth traveled across her jaw line and down her neck, his hands working on her corset. "_Only_ mine."

She didn't say anything; she only sighed as she felt the strings of her corset loosen and the thick material drop to the floor, followed soon after by her dress. In one swift movement, he pushed her down the bed, and Bellatrix overwhelmed the sensation of the soft mattress beneath her and the feeling of her master's body now pressing on top of her.

As he undid his own robes, as well, she felt his lips against the tender skin of her neck once again, and moaned in delight. "Say it, Bella," he growled, pressing his now bare body against hers, causing another moan to escape her lips.

He continued to kiss every inch of her bare flesh, as she was once again lost in heaven. "Say it, Bella," he repeated, his kisses never stopping, making her arch her back against him. "I am yours, master, only yours," she breathed, and she knew it was the total truth. And how she loved speaking nothing but the total truth to him.

* * *

><p>"There is something you are going to do for me, Bella," Voldemort murmured in his servant's ear, as they lay entwined in each other's arms, covered with the soft, satin sheets.<p>

Bellatrix squeezed against him, her hand touching his chest, and she closed her eyes. She didn't want this moment to end, she wanted to stay there, without talking, just lying against him, feeling his soft skin against hers, kissing him, maybe telling him how much she loved him…

At first, she didn't respond, and he allowed her to remain silent, as his arm wrapped around her and held her possessively, his lips touching her soft black curls. After a few moments passed, Bella's voice broke the comfortable silence.

"Anything, my lord," she murmured, her eyes still closed.

He pressed a tender kiss on her forehead, and she smiled. "I will do anything you ask me."

"I know, my beautiful," he whispered, and his hand began to stoke her shoulder, making her relax even more in his embrace. "You are, after all, my most faithful…"

"I am, master," she said softly, and she thought she must be dreaming. Or perhaps she was dead and had gone to heaven.

"Do you know what you are going to do for me?" Voldemort asked her softly, never releasing his possessive hold on her, his lips still pressed against her silky hair.

"What, my lord?" she questioned, still keeping her eyes closed, her smile only growing wider as the seconds passed by.

"You are going to kill Rodolphus," he whispered, and pressed another kiss on the top of her head.

* * *

><p>A.NHey people! I'm sorry it took me kinda long to update, and I am sorry it is so short, especially after promising that this chapter was going to be longer… Well, I decided to split it in this, and the next one, which will probably be the last one (the chances for it to be so are about ninety-nine percent), and there will probably be some sort of an epilogue after that, as well. I hoped you liked it… I want to thank all my reviewers, you really make my day with your wonderful reviews! Also, I promise the next update will be quicker. Leave a review and tell me what you think –pretty please? :)


	14. Painful

_Deceiver of hearts_

_Deceiver of fools_

_He rules with fear_

_Deceiver of hearts_

_Deceiver of fools_

_He rules your heart_

_He will sale your soul to the grave_

_Without a hesitation to make_

_He belongs to the dark_

_He plays with your mind…_

_~Within Temptation, "Deceiver of fools"_

* * *

><p>She had never felt so confused, so uncertain, so clueless and so desperate in her whole life. Bellatrix was sitting on one of the eight chairs that rounded the dining table of the Lestrange manor, where she and her husband used to take their breakfast every morning and dine every night; her elbows were resting on the table's black wooden surface and her face was buried in her hands.<p>

She couldn't do it. But she had to.

She was forced to lift her head when she heard Todd, the house elf, enter the dining room with two cups of coffee, hers and her husband's.

"Leave, Todd, I'll make coffee for your master today," she said through gritted teeth, praying that the filthy creature standing in front of her would not object her. She was not in the mood for yelling to a house elf.

"But, mistress, Todd made cof-"

"I said leave!" Bellatrix growled, causing the elf to flinch and bow its head low.

"A-as you wish, m-mistress," it uttered, and, careful not to spill the hot brown liquid from the cups, left the room in a hurry. Bellatrix inhaled deeply and closed her eyes tightly, as if trying to keep a certain thought from invading her mind. After a few seconds, she opened them again and stood up, staring blankly at the floor.

No, she couldn't do it. Of course, she had killed many people in the past; muggles, she had killed them while training with the Dark Lord, to practice; mudbloods who stood against the Cause, mudbloods who had dared defy her master, her, and the other deatheaters. But never a pureblood, and most certainly never someone so closely related to her. He was her husband, she couldn't kill him.

And yet she knew, that in the end, she would be forced to do it, whether she liked it or not. Her master had been perfectly clear; she would kill Rodolphus, or she would face punishment.

However, it was not the physical punishment Bellatrix was afraid of; it was the feeling of knowing that she would have failed her lord if she did not obey, if she did not do what he wished, if she became weak.

It was no use to try to delay what she had to do any longer; it would only make her feel worse, and in the end, perhaps she would back down. No. She would do it. She had to. At the moment, Rodolphus was an enemy, someone who had to be destroyed, and if her master wanted him dead, then she should too.

She took a deep breath and left the dining room, heading to the kitchen. Once she found herself in the room, she ordered the two house elves that were there to leave, and not come back unless she told her to. And, of course, she ordered them to say nothing to Rodolphus about her sudden urge to make coffee for him.

She took the cup that contained the coffee Todd had made for her husband. Luckily, the house elf hadn't disposed of it, and she wouldn't have to make one by herself.

She placed the cup on one counter and took out a small vial from one cupboard; a small amount of white liquid was in it, which Bellatrix poured a few drops of in the coffee, and then sealed the vial again. She stared at the cup. There was no trace of the poison she had poured in it, Rodolphus wouldn't realize what she had done. It would be over within seconds.

As she placed the small vial back in the cupboard, the events of last night invaded her mind once again, as if to remind her that she could not be weak, that she should obey to her lord and do what was asked of her.

_"Do you know what you are going to do for me?" Voldemort asked her softly, never releasing his possessive hold on her, his lips still pressed against her silky hair._

_"What, my lord?" she questioned, still keeping her eyes closed, her smile only growing wider as the seconds passed by._

_"You are going to kill Rodolphus," he whispered, and pressed another kiss on the top of her head._

_Bellatrix's eyes snapped open, and she tried to pull herself away from his embrace, but his arms held her in place._

_"W-what?" she uttered, her voice trembling, hoping that she had misheard him._

_"You are going to kill your husband, my beautiful," Voldemort repeated softly, his voice sounding unnormally tender, while his lips were still placing small, affectionate kisses on her hair._

_This time, she was able to pull away, mustering all her strength to push his hands away. Surprisingly, he did not object and let go of his hold on her, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips._

_"M-master…" she whispered, unable to say anything else. How could he ask her to do something like that, she couldn't, there was no way!_

_"Yes?" he questioned softly, while lounging back comfortably on the pillows._

_"I…why?" was the only thing she managed to say, unable to hide the fear in her voice._

_"Because, my Bella," Voldemort answered simply, "I say so. And because he is no useful to me or the cause anymore."_

_"I… I…" I can't do this. She couldn't kill her husband, especially not now, after he had told her how much he loved her, how much he cared… She couldn't do that to him!_

_"Why are you hesitating, Bella?" Voldemort questioned, and leaned closer to her. "Perhaps you love your dear husband so much you cannot do any harm to him?" he mocked, now any traces of tenderness gone from him._

_"Master, I don't-"_

_"Or, perhaps you are just weak, a weak, crying little girl who cannot kill someone completely worthless… Are you weak, Bella?"_

_"No-"_

_"Good, because I did not train you to see you acting like you do right now," he hissed and his face was now even closer to hers, she could feel his cold breath against her skin. "You are going to do it, Bella."_

_"But I can't kill-"_

_She wasn't able to finish her words, as she suddenly fell back on the bed, and felt her hands being brutally guided up above her head and being held there. She let out a hiss of pain and tried to escape, but the Dark Lord held her there, not allowing her to move an inch away from him._

_"Bella," Voldemort hissed in her ear, sending unhealthy shivers down her spine. "You are going to do as you're ordered." He said sharply, and Bella writhed underneath him, knowing that her wrists must be bruised. She couldn't do it, she had to protest, she had to at least try to change his mind…_

_"I can't kill him!" she said desperately, "I won't!"_

_Before she could realize what had happened, her head tossed on one side, and she felt her left cheek burning, knowing that he had slapped her. The shock was too much to allow her to feel the physical pain, as she watched a small drop of blood fall on the sheets, dripping from her split lip._

_She couldn't believe it. He had never used physical violence on her, ever. She had endured he cruciatus curse many times in the past, coming from his wand, but this was different, and to her, terrifying. Before she could stop them, she felt tears rolling down her cheeks._

_"Don't cry," he ordered sharply, and she looked up at him, into his furious eyes. She knew she had crossed the line. Bella bit her split lower lip, trying to keep the tears from flowing. She could feel the metallic taste of her blood in her mouth._

_"I said, do not cry," he repeated, and she forced herself to calm down, forced the tears back._

_"Much better," he hissed in her ear, once she had stopped. "Now, my beautiful, do you feel any calmer?" he asked, and now his voice was once again soft and tender. It frightened her even more, to hear him like that, because she didn't know what to expect next._

_She nodded, and she felt him release his grasp on her wrists. However, she didn't dare move her hands, afraid to do anything without his permission._

_"Bella, my pretty little Bella, don't be afraid," he whispered, but his words only made her shake more badly beneath him. "I will not hurt you, if you do as I say," he added softy, and placed an affectionate kiss on her cheek. "Will you do as I say, Bella?"_

_She took a deep breath, tried to even her heart beats, and then opened her mouth to talk. "Y-yes," she uttered, her voice barely audible._

_"Yes who?"_

_"Yes m-master," she whispered, wishing that he would let her go, or at least show her if he was angry. She couldn't bear listening to that soft, tender voice while she knew he was furious, knew that she was in danger._

_Her breath caught in her throat as he felt his lips on hers, pulling her in a slow kiss. She soon found herself kissing him back, unable to hold herself. He broke the kiss once he felt her respond to him, and his lips travelled to the side of her face, close to her ear._

_"You're a good girl, Bella, a very good girl," he whispered, making her shiver. "Beautiful Bella…"_

_She felt him use one hand to spread her legs, and she tried to protest. She couldn't do that now, why was he doing that to her? However, despite her weak, pathetic struggles against him, she knew she would be forced to submit. "Please, I can't-" she murmured, her voice breaking pathetically._

_"Of course you can, my dear," Voldemort whispered to her, and kissed her again. The kiss was so tender, so affectionate, so beautiful, that she found herself unable to resist him. She kissed back, this time passionately, forgetting her previous state._

_"My Bella, my perfect little Bella," he murmured against her skin, and she could not suppress a small smile that crept across her face. He thought she was perfect. She ought to prove him right, she should be perfect for him. For now, she could allow herself to get lost in heaven with him once again._

_"Don't be afraid, love, don't resist, you don't have to..." was the last thing she heard before she lost control._

Bellatrix's eyes snapped open, and she realized the pain she felt in her hand was because of her extremely tight grip around the coffee cup. Last night with her master was both terrifying and wonderful, but now it was over, and she had to complete his orders.

She walked out of the kitchen and found herself in the dining room once again. She sat down on her chair after placing the cup on the table, and waited. Waited for her husband to wake up.

* * *

><p>A.N Hey people! I updated *I know, I know you're excited…* So, I know I said this was supposed to be the last chapter, but I just can't end this… Oh well, perhaps the next one will be the last, but there will be no epilogue… Or, it will be the last, and there will be an epilogue, as I have promised. I still don't know.

Thanks to everyone who reads this, and many special thanks to those who review :)

I hoped you liked this chapter! Please hit that little button below and tell me what you think!


	15. Decisions to make

_Look here she comes now_  
><em>Bow down and stare in wonder<em>  
><em>Oh how we love you<em>  
><em>No flaws when you're pretending<em>  
><em>But now I know she<em>

_Never was and never will be_  
><em>You don't know how you've betrayed me<em>  
><em>And somehow you've got everybody fooled<em>

_Without the mask, where will you hide?_  
><em>Can't find yourself lost in your lie…<em>

_~Evanescence, "Everybody's fool"_

* * *

><p>She finally heard the double doors of the dining room open, and she lifted her head to see a still sleepy Rodolphus Lestrange, with messy brown hair and dark circles framing his eyes walking in, dressed in perhaps his simplest outfit. He yawned and then smiled as he saw his wife sitting on the table, waiting for him.<p>

"Good morning," he said, his smile never leaving his face, and he took his usual seat at the other end of the table. Bellatrix felt her stomach leap from nausea; he looked so happy, almost peaceful after what had been told between them two nights ago… If only he knew…

_Compose yourself_, a cold voice snapped inside of Bella's head. _You cannot back down now, you must not be weak. It is just another task to complete for your master, for the cause. You will find another husband, and what if you don't? You don't need him, do not care about him_.

As much as she wanted to believe that voice, it was extremely hard for her to do so. Then there was another voice, that screamed that she should stop this before it was too late, that she could not kill her own husband, that she should save Rodolphus, stop him from drinking the poisoned liquid from the cup.

However, she did not make any move or said anything as Rodolphus once again smiled at her, and, out of habit, took the Daily Prophet that had been delivered early in the morning and opened it to the front page.

"It says here that the Minister made some statements regarding the mysterious death of minister employee named Shawn Greggory, whose corpse was found in the woods… That they are investigating the cases and blah blah blah… Same as always, this last couple of months… Soon they'll realize they'll be forced to announce to the people what is really going on…" he said bitterly, and turned to the next page.

During the last couple of weeks, Rodolphus seemed to have lost all his interest in what Voldemort was doing, since he did not attend any meetings or take part in any tasks. At moments like this, Bellatrix didn't have to think too much to figure out why the Dark Lord wanted her husband dead, but she still couldn't bring herself to do it.

It was a fact that Rodolphus had changed over the last weeks. He constantly seemed to be tired, as if he wasn't getting enough sleep, and always refused to talk about anything regarding Voldemort or the other deatheaters. He had lost contact with them and the only one from Voldemort's inner circle whom he was talking to was Bellatrix.

In fact, his behavior towards Bella had changed, too. He wasn't anymore treating her as the victim of a human sacrifice, but was obviously trying to behave as normal as possible around her.

Bellatrix could tell that he wanted to forget everything that had to do with the Dark Lord and have a life as normal as possible; she thought that to be extremely foolish from his part. She knew one could not simply pretend to have nothing to do with Voldemort when it was known how furious the Dark Lord still was at them.

Bellatrix somehow preferred this new side of Rodolphus, even though she knew how much pain he felt inside. Now, watching him read the newspaper so casually, without knowing anything about Bellatrix's previous actions, made her heart sting. She did not love Rodolphus, not like a wife was supposed to love her husband. She did not care about him the way Narcissa did for Lucius, the way so many other women she knew did about their husbands.

And yet, she knew she needed him, and in fact, she could not deny she somehow appreciated him, despite having lost a great part of her respect towards him due to his behavior during the last weeks.

She thought how it would feel like, watching him die, and knowing that it was because of her, knowing that she was her husband's murderer. She had never had a problem with killing a muggle before, she wouldn't have a problem with killing a traitor, but Rodolphus was her family, whether she liked it or not. She couldn't kill her own family.

But she had no other choice.

"Bella, are you alright?" Rodolphus's voice snapped in her head, and she lifted her gaze, to see her husband looking worriedly at her. She realized she must look like a mess, so it took all of her willpower to force herself to smile. She had no idea how she managed to pull it off, but a small smile did appear on her face.

"Yeah, I'm good," she replied, hoping that her short answer would reassure him.

"Are you sure?" Rodolphus insisted, his eyes narrowing. Obviously he could sense something was wrong with her.

"I didn't get much sleep last night, I'm a little sleepy, that's all," Bellatrix shrugged, wishing that he would buy it and stop with the questions. She couldn't take this anymore, she just wanted him to drink that damned coffee and be done with it.

"Oh," he said simply, and Bellatrix silently thanked the gods for the change in her husband's expression. "Well, I have to admit I had a pretty good sleep," he said, and placed the newspaper on the table.

"Why didn't you sleep?" he asked worriedly once again, but then sat back in his chair again and picked up the 'Daily Prophet' again. Bellatrix thought he did that because perhaps he already knew the answer, and didn't want to hear it from her, as well. Perhaps he had guessed she was with the Dark Lord.

She decided not to reply, and to her relief, Rodolphus didn't press the subject.

She felt like she was sweating, and she wanted nothing more than this to end. She wanted him to drink the poisoned coffee, she wanted him to die and then she could forget about everything and start her life from the beginning. She doubted she would be able to do this, but she knew there was no turning back now, he should die. She couldn't do anything.

"Bella, are you _sure_ you're okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. I told you, I'm tired, perhaps I'll get a nap later, I have a clear day."

"Alright," Rodolphus said cautiously, and once again left the newspaper. "Bella," he started, and he looked as if trying to decide about something. "Look, if… If there is something bothering you, you know you can tell me. I'll help you out, whatever the problem is, you know that you can rely on me," he said softly, yet his voice was serious. He meant what he said.

Bellatrix nodded, and she felt her eyes burning. Why was he doing this? She could not let him die, she could not murder her husband, not after hearing him talking to her like that… she bit her lip, trying to force her tears back. She had never been one to cry, but during the last week she had found herself in tears more often than she would have ever allowed herself.

Rodolphus stood up from the chair and rounded the table to find himself next to her, bending over her body, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he asked, and now she could not suppress one single tear that ran down her cheek. It was the first time she was genuinely crying in front of him, the first time she wasn't acting.

"Bella, please, don't cry," he whispered, and stroked her hair. Bellatrix gulped. Her master had sharply ordered her not to cry, in a tone that left no room for objections, where her husband begged her not to, since he could not bear the sight of her looking so broken.

And still, she knew she would never love Rodolphus as she loved the Dark Lord, no matter what her master did to her, no matter what he put her through. She couldn't believe her own thoughts, her own emotions. She had no idea whether she controlled her own mind and life or not anymore.

"Bella, tell me what's wrong, and I'll help you, I'll never leave you alone, just tell me…"

That was her breaking point. She couldn't take this anymore. She pushed Rodolphus away and stood up, wiping the tears away from her face. She walked over to where her husband had been sitting, took out her wand and disposed of the cup's content, then grabbed it and threw it on the floor tile, causing it to break in small pieces.

"Bella, what are you doing?" Rodolphus asked, shocked with his wife's behavior. He too stood up and looked at her with eyes wide open. The sight of her truly was not pleasant; she was almost trembling, tears were running a familiar path down her now lifeless, pale cheeks and her hair was a tangled mass that framed her face. He had never seen her so lost, so defeated, so broken.

It scared him. He took a few steps closer to her, but froze where he was standing when she pointed her wand straight to his heart, a terrifying glow in her dark brown eyes.

"Bella?" he questioned, his voice barely audible, struggling to find out what was wrong with her. She looked like she had lost it, like she was at the most desperate point of her life. And then he knew, he knew it was _his_ fault. He had known since that very first night, that this would break his once fearless, unbreakable wife.

"I'm sorry," her voice trembled, "I'm sorry, I really am…"

"What-" he did not have to ask anything else. He realized. He realized everything. The hand that was holding her wand was shaking; her eyes seemed unfocused, and her tears wouldn't stop running down her face. Only he didn't know why. He changed his question. "Why?"

He didn't flinch. He didn't shake. He didn't beg. He just wanted to know why. He felt his eyes burning, his heart breaking. Why was she doing this? What had he done wrong? "Why?"

"I have to do this." Now her voice sounded steadier, and he could tell she was putting up gigantic efforts to stop herself from breaking down. "I have to do. Even if I don't, he will kill you anyway. I just have to."

He inhaled deeply, and closed his eyes. He opened them again, he focused them on her trembling form. "Okay." He whispered, and smiled. At least, he could smile. He could see there was no other way now. After all, he had known since the first day of his punishment, that his days were being counted backwards. He just didn't know when this day would come.

Her brows narrowed, obviously she was confused with his words.

"Bella, do it," he said simply, softly. "Just… I just want you to know that I love you. I've always have, since the day we met. At school, remember? We were both eleven, and I was already imagining how you would look like dressed all in white, walking down the wedding aisle…" he smiled.

Against her own will, she laughed bitterly through her tears. "Back then, I thought you were an idiotic arrogant little fuck who only cared about outshining everyone," she chuckled, and he did the same.

"Yeah, I thought so," he commented. There was a long silence, awkward from both parts, but Rodolphus forced himself to remain calm. "Bella, don't think about it, just do it. You'll definitely have a better life without me."

"Perhaps I will," she whispered, as if talking to herself. But her wand still shook in her hand. She opened her mouth to utter the curse, but no sound came out. Just when she was about to regain her strength and try once again, her left forearm felt as if it was burning. Her wand dropped to the tiles, and her right hand caught her forearm, a hiss escaping her lips.

Quickly, once she overcame the burning sensation, she grabbed her want from the floor and straightened her back. He was calling her, now, and that meant she should go straight away, no matter what. She should leave Rodolphus. Perhaps he would still be at home when she returned, this she didn't know. But she had to go.

She gazed at her husband, and wiped her tears away. She couldn't look like a mess in front of her master. She saw Rodolphus look sadly at her, but he said nothing, as she apparated to her lord's manor.

* * *

><p>AN So, I updated again, and I like to believe it was quite quick! Yes, I did not kill Rodolphus. Yet? Who knows… Perhaps she'll kill him, perhaps she won't. next chapter will most likely be the epilogue. It is a 90 percent likelihood for it to be so.

Anyway, I hoped you guys liked it :) many thanks to everyone who reads this, and many special thanks and gifts and cookies to those who review! You make my day!

Please let me know if you liked/didn't like this, and do hit that little button below :)


	16. Epilogue

_Come to bed, don't let me sleep alone_

_Couldn't hide the emptiness, you let it show_

_Never wanted it to be so cold_

_Just didn't drink enough to say you love me_

_I can't hold on to me_

_Wonder what's wrong with me…_

_~Evanescence, "Lithium"_

* * *

><p>"I was afraid that you would not be strong enough to do it, Bella. I feel disappointed that you proved my fears to be right."<p>

Her master's voice echoed in Bellatrix's head as she lay on the thick carpet of his chambers, her hair all over her face, a burning sensation coursing through her veins; the result of a cruciatus curse delivered to her by a very angry lord Voldemort, a curse she knew she deserved.

But the pain was nothing, nothing compared to what she felt inside, nothing compared to the feeling of having disappointed her lord like that.

"I'm sorry," she uttered for the fifteenth time that day, and she felt tears running a now familiar path down her cheeks. "I'm sorry…"

She knew apologizing wouldn't make any difference, perhaps it would only irritate her master even more. But she couldn't help it, she truly was sorry, she desperately wanted him to understand how difficult this was for her, how much she wanted to be forgiven and make up for it.

"Why are you so weak, Bella?" his hissing voice snapped, and she had to bite her tongue to hold back a sob. He was calling her weak. She had disappointed him, she had let him down.

"I'm not weak," she murmured pathetically through her tears, perhaps trying to convince her own self.

"Then why have you done everything you could to reassure me of the opposite?" he asked coolly,

"I'm sorry…"

"I do not want to hear your sniveling apologies, Bellatrix!" he snapped, and Bellatrix braced herself, preparing for another curse. "I want to hear a reason that will explain your pathetic behavior! I am done with tolerating such weakness from you!"

She didn't say anything. She didn't have anything to say; he was right, she had no reason for disobeying him like that. She lay there, eyes tightly closed, feeling him towering over her, and she bit her lip. If he killed her right now, she knew he would have every right to do so. She had become a failure, a total disappointment.

"I'm waiting, Bellatrix."

She knew she had to say something. Anything to defend herself, anything to show that she wasn't weak, anything to regain what respect she could from him, if that was possible.

"I would have done it," she uttered, unable to control the trembling in her voice.

"You would have done it?" he laughed, but there was no trace of humor or amusement in his voice. "So, it is my fault. My fault, because I summoned you and you didn't get to fulfill your orders as you should, is that right?"

"No!" she exclaimed, and struggled to sit upright, desperately trying to show some signs of strength. "No, my lord, of course it's not your-"

"Then whose is it, Bellatrix? Yours, perhaps?" he mocked.

"My lord, I was about to do it, I would kill-"

"Bellatrix, we both know you wouldn't," he cut her off sharply, and she felt tears filling her eyes once again. "Tell me why, Bellatrix. What is the reason of such weakness?"

She gulped. What would she tell him now? What could she tell him? He had looked through her mind, he had seen the entire interaction between her and Rodolphus, he knew everything that had happened, and she knew he now despised her for all the emotions she had let take over her, for her almost complete breakdown.

"Is it love, perhaps?" he asked with a small smirk, though Bellatrix could hear the disgust in his voice. "Do you love your dear Rodolphus so much you weren't able to cast the curse? Do you care about him so much that you willingly ruined your plan to poison him? It was a simple order, Bellatrix, a simple order; kill Lestrange, and you have failed. Your love for him is making you weak-"

"I don't love him!" she said desperately. She didn't love him, she couldn't love him! Yes, she did care, but it was merely because he was her husband, and because he was caring himself.

"Then why did you hesitate?"

"I-" she didn't know why. Why had she hesitated? She was not supposed to care… Then why had she? "I don't know…"

"But I do," Voldemort hissed softly, and Bellatrix knew this wasn't going to be good. "You are weak. After all the training, after all your oaths to me, after everything, you are weak. You are pathetic. Maybe you don't deserve to be my servant, Bellatrix, anymore. I thought you to be my most faithful, and you proved me wrong so many times…"

This time, she couldn't hold back the sobs. She knew he was doing this to make her realize how hard she had failed, but what if he truly meant what he was saying? Of course he meant it, he didn't believe in her any more, she was useless to him… She had disappointed him…

"I _am_ your most faithful…" she stuttered through tears.

"You are not doing very well with proving it," he said coldly, and Bellatrix saw her own tears drip on the carpet, wetting it, and she raised her hand to wipe them away. She then felt a force throwing her back on the floor, and once she felt the pain, burning her, tearing her apart, she heard a horrid scream that she soon realized was hers. The last thing she was able to think before agony took over her, was that she had to make up. She had to prove her master that she was not weak, that she was not worthless. That she was his most faithful.

* * *

><p>Rodolphus had just woken up from a dreamless sleep that he hoped could last forever. He knew it wouldn't; he had to face reality. He sat up on the uncomfortable couch, where he had fallen asleep after the mental exhaustion caused by the interaction with Bella, and took a look around. The living room was dark, quiet, almost hostile.<p>

The first thought that came to his mind was Bella. His Bella, who had attempted to poison him. His Bella, who had refused to see him die like that and had gotten rid of the poison that was supposed to kill him. His Bella, who had aimed her wand directly to his heart, ready to say the two words that would signal the end of is life. His Bella, who hadn't casted the spell. His Bella, who was now away, as she was almost every night, with _him_, Merlin knows doing what.

His Bella… Was she truly his after all? He knew the answer to that. He loved her, he loved her more than he had ever loved anyone in his entire life, but he knew his love was unrequited. He knew Bellatrix was in love with someone else, no matter what that certain someone told or did to her. She would always forgive _him_, always believe that _he_ was right.

Although, she must have cared, even a little. She hadn't killed him, even though he had accepted it, even though he had even encouraged her to do so. He knew everything would be much easier for her if he just died, and he wanted what was best for her. After all, he knew he would die some day soon, either by the Dark Lord's hand, or by one of his other Deatheaters. He had disobeyed and failed his _master_, he knew he would pay for this with his life; and he had accepted it.

He stood up. He wanted to drink. No, he didn't want to get drunk. But he had to forget. But he couldn't do that again.

He shook his head. He wouldn't drink. He would just make himself a tea. A nice, warm tea that would help him sleep again.

He walked inside the kitchen, and was relieved to see that the house elves weren't there. He grabbed a cup and struggled to remember where they were keeping the tea, when he heard someone's breathing from one corner of the dark kitchen.

He instinctively searched for his wand, but he realized he had forgotten it in his bedroom. Shit. His grip on the cup became tighter, as if ready to use it as a weapon if needed, but he dropped it and heard it break into pieces as he saw Bellatrix emerge from the shadows, her wand at hand, her expression unreadable.

"Bella?"

She raised her wand. He could see her eyes had turned red from crying, but obviously she had no more tears left now. The wand was once again aiming his chest. He inhaled deeply.

"Bella…"

"I am not weak. I am not weak, Rodolphus."

"No. you're not," he said softly, and he meant it. His Bella was never weak. No, he thought, not _his_ Bella.

"I'm not," she repeated, and took a small breath. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be."

The last thing Rodolphus was able to think was that he loved her. He only wanted her to be his… Because he loved her. But in the end, it doesn't matter. For she will always belong to another one, and the only thing he can do s cry night tears while waiting for her to come back… But this was now over. There were no more nights, no more tears to cry. Just Bellatrix, aiming at him, her lower lip trembling slightly.

This time, she would not hesitate. She was not weak. Her lord would be proud. She smiled. Yes, he would be proud.

"Avada Kedavra."

* * *

><p><em>AN Oh yeah, I updated, and here you have the epilogue!_

_Poor Rod… I honestly cried for the guy while writing this… Poor him… :(_

_Who knows? Perhaps we'll see a sequel with Bella/Voldemort after this? Perhaps not. Perhaps yes. Only God knows. (Seriously now, not yet, at least.)_

_I hoped you liked the epilogue… Please, hit that button below and let me know what you think of this!_


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